Introduction
A big climate conference called “Breathe Pakistan” is happening in Islamabad. Many experts and leaders are there to talk about how to fight climate change. They want to make Pakistan strong against climate problems by 2047. They also want to work with other countries in South Asia because they all face the same problems like hot weather, less water, and more natural disasters.
Sherry Rehman’s Keynote Address
Senator Sherry Rehman, who used to be the climate change minister, gave a very important speech. She said that climate change does not care about borders. She remembered how bad the 2022 floods were and how nobody talked about a big fire in Balochistan two years ago. She said that these problems are everywhere and we need to pay attention to them.
She also talked about how some people in Pakistan and other countries are starting to think that climate change is not real. She called this “climate denialism” and said it is very dangerous. She asked who will take responsibility for these problems.
Climate Finance Needs
Ex-State Bank of Pakistan governor Shamshad Akhtar said that Pakistan needs a lot of money to fight climate change. She said that by 2050, Pakistan needs to spend $40-50 billion every year. That’s a lot of money! She said that if we don’t deal with this big threat, our economy will be in trouble.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb also spoke about money. He said that we need to focus on how to use the money and who will help us. He talked about how some countries promise to give money to help with climate change, but they don’t give enough. He said that the money we need is much more than what they promise.
Climate Challenges in Pakistan
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah talked about how bad the situation is in Pakistan. He said that the big glaciers in the mountains are melting very fast. This means that Pakistan might not have enough water. He also talked about how hot it is getting. Some places in Sindh are so hot that people can’t live there anymore.
He also talked about how farming is in trouble because the rain is not coming when it should. This means that there might not be enough food. He said that all of these problems are because of climate change and we need money to fix them.
Climate Justice
Justice Shah also talked about something called “climate justice.” He said that rich countries should help poor countries because poor countries are suffering the most. He called it a “legal and moral obligation.” He said that without enough money, poor countries can’t fix their problems. He even said that some people call it “climate apartheid” because rich countries are protecting themselves and leaving poor countries to suffer.
World Bank’s Perspective
Valerie Hickey from the World Bank also spoke. She said that there is not enough money to fight climate change. She said that most of the money we have is for reducing emissions, but we need more money for adapting to the changes. She also said that most of the money is going to rich countries, not the poor ones that need it the most.
Local Efforts and Solutions
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur talked about what his province is doing. He said that they have a lot of forests and they are working hard to protect them. He said that forests are important because they can absorb carbon dioxide. He also said that they need more money to take care of the forests.
Conclusion
The “Breathe Pakistan” conference is very important because it brings together people who care about climate change. They are talking about big problems and trying to find solutions. They know that Pakistan and other countries in South Asia need a lot of help. They need money, support, and cooperation from other countries. The conference is a good start, but there is still a lot of work to do.