‘US, Pakistan have to work together to cope with climate crisis’

Top US official says both countries engaged to tackle plastic pollution in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD:

US Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Monica P Medina has said that the governments of the United States (US) and Pakistan have great room to work together on the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to cope with climate challenges caused by global warming and environmental degradation.

During an interaction with media persons about the outcomes of the ministerial dialogue on climate change, Medina said: “One thing that we really need to work on together is with respect to the GCF which is one of the largest fund donors of the projects to deal with climate change in the world. She said that both Pakistan and US governments were going to co-chair the board of directors at the key moment when the countries were looking to get more funding from the Fund for the communities that were being hit hardest by climate change.

She underlined that it was a tremendous opportunity for the US and Pakistan in particular to work together to help solve climate challenges. Medina said Pakistan is a very important partner and a friend of the US.

“We have very meaningful and deep relationships and lots of people-to-people ties, strong bilateral exchanges and we are working together on global climate and environmental challenges as these challenges we know hit close to home."

The US official said the world countries were already facing horrible climate impacts but the devastating floods in Pakistan last year caught everyone's attention. "We worked closely with the Pakistani government in the wake of the floodings. Since these terrible events, the US announced more than $200 million in flood relief, food security, disaster preparedness and other recovery efforts. We are very pleased to be able to do that as well as lending a lot of expertise too in trying to figure out ways to prevent and adapt to these sorts of climate stressors,” she said.

She said that the US administration had realised that both countries would have to move forward to mitigate the climate crisis by working together.

“US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry would have been here but his busy schedule did not permit him,” she added.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2023.