‘Coastal communities affected by climate change’

Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman has said that due to the climate change phenomenon Pakistan faced the worst flood of the century which affected a population equaling to three European countries.

Addressing the session held on the second day of the 10th International Maritime Expo and Conference, Senator Sherry Rehman further said that Pakistan is a frontline country facing climate change impact causing cycles of drought and floods.

If marine pollution is not prevented, these effects will intensify, she said adding that coastal communities are being affected the most by the effects of climate change.

Sherry Rehman said that ecosystems of countries located near the equator and coastal populations in the world are also interconnected. If Pakistan's ecosystem is affected, other countries will also face similar destruction, she said.

Earlier, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed in his address said Balochistan is the center of blue economy of Pakistan, "and the door of our country's economic prosperity also opens from Balochistan in the form of Gwadar Port."

He further said that the situation around Pakistan has changed. The ongoing proxy wars in the region are over, while the US has withdrawn from Afghanistan.

The changing conditions of the region are increasing the importance of communication for Pakistan's blue economy and regional trade, he said.

Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh said the importance of generating green and environment-friendly energy was increasing rapidly in view of climate change. This he said while talking to media after visiting the stall set up by the energy department at the Pakistan International Maritime Exhibition and Conference (PIMEC) at Exso Centre.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2023.