A moot brought together experts from international organisations, civil society and the government to discuss the challenges and opportunities of climate resilience in Pakistan.
Speakers urged collaborative action to tackle the climate crisis in Pakistan.
They were speaking at the Jinnah Institute's "Pakistan's Race to Resilience" conference held in Islamabad on Tuesday.
Senator Sherry Rehman called for urgent action to combat climate change and its profound impact on Pakistan, saying that the demand for interventions must go beyond mere government policies and focus on collaborative efforts involving civil society and the wider public.
In her opening remarks, Senator Rehman highlighted the devastating impact of climate change on Pakistan, noting that the country has suffered from record-breaking floods, heatwaves, and droughts in recent years.
She, however, noted that in order to move toward resilience, policies alone cannot be the solution as there was a need for communities to get involved as well.
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"This is something I consistently assert. No government – the most effective government or the most low-intensity government – can achieve climate or environmental goals alone.”
The senator added that it was highly irresponsible of the public not to raise their voices against climate change as it would eventually affect everyone – from the elderly to the younger generation.
“Which is why I think we all need to become champions of stressing the dangers and the costs of climate inaction.”
She also talked about the outcomes of COP 28 and stressed that while there was an abundance of pre-COP talk about ensuring no one is left behind, yet currently, more than half the world is being excluded from climate-related decision-making.
“Moving from rhetoric to responsibility at COP is crucial and the key message,” she said.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2023.
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