Speakers call for steps on climate change
Islamabad – Speakers at a seminar have said that climate change renders devastating effects on rural population of Pakistan especially small farmers.
The livelihood of millions of people has been jeopardized because of climatic impacts including floods and draughts. Hence, the real challenge lies in ensuring that the agreement is able to avert catastrophic climate change and enhance climate resilience, especially among the poor and most vulnerable, they added.
The awareness seminar was organised by Oxfam and Indus Consortium.
Speakers on the occasion said that since the Paris Agreement commenced barely a year ago, 94 countries – accounting for at least 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions – have ratified to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The 22nd Conference of Parties (COP 22) to the UNFCCC in Marrakech, Morocco, is setting the rules on how to implement and chart progress on what has been agreed in Paris.
Oxfam calls on developed countries to keep their pledge to allocate resources that will help vulnerable people in the region to adapt and build their climate resilience.
“The need for concrete actions to cut greenhouse emissions and provide climate finance to support climate adaptation in developing countries, like Pakistan which is 8th most affected country in the world. It is very important to act on National Adaptation Plan to develop and implement Local Adaptation Plan of Actions (LAPA) for small scale farmers and food producers in Pakistan, where the agricultural sector is heavily affected by climate change,” said Mohammed Qazilbash, Country Director Oxfam.
It is projected that climate change will put around 49 million more people in the Asia/Pacific region at risk of hunger by 2020. According to UNEP, by 2030, adaptation can cost developing countries $ 140 to $ 300 billion per year. Only 16 per cent of international climate finance goes to adaptation, and for this, only $ 4 billion to $ 6 billion comes from public finance.
The gap in available climate finance for adaptation is expected to grow even bigger. “Climate negotiators from Asia must take the lead in ensuring that there is progress in the way developed countries report and count adaptation finance in order to promote greater transparency and accountability in the latter’s commitments.
They should promote standards and practices to make sure that climate finance goes to projects that truly respond to the adaptation needs of vulnerable people, especially small scale women farmers.
In Pakistan alone 72 per cent of the farmers are women but only 1 per cent owned the lands,” said Mohammed Qazilbash.
“A meaningful mechanism to increase adaptation finance is necessary so that Pakistan does not have to divert much needed resources intended for essential services in development and poverty alleviation to addressing climate impacts,” he added.
Related Stories
The Express Tribune: Smoking gun: Climate secretary takes tobacco junket
The Express Tribune: Pakistan lacks plan to combat drought-like situation
” 
” 
” 
” 
” 
