Baku: On Wednesday, Ishaq Dar, the foreign minister and deputy prime minister, urged wealthy countries to fulfill their commitments to offer grants-based, accessible climate funds to help developing countries meet their climate targets.
He said this at a high-level gathering on “Delivering Early Warnings for All (EW4All) and Addressing Extreme Heat” that the UN Secretary-General called on the fringes of the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29).
While addressing the event, the foreign minister and deputy prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s dedication to preserving lives and communities from the harsh and unpredictable effects of climate change.
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He highlighted the importance of early warning systems for climate-induced hazards, including floods, glacial lake outbursts, droughts, and extreme heat.
He added that over a decade, Pakistan was consistently ranked among the top ten countries, mostly impacted by climate change. The devastating floods of 2022 served as a sobering reminder of their vulnerability, causing a catastrophic loss of over $30 billion and affecting 33 million people nationwide. Buildings, homes, and vital infrastructure were all swept away.
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“A lot of these impacts could have been mitigated if we had any early warning system, enabling them to respond proactively and avoid such immense sufferings,” he continued.
Dar stated Pakistan’s continued commitment to working with the international community to address climate change.