ISLAMABAD, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday called for international cooperation to counter the threats posed by climate change.
The international community has to play an active and responsible role in ensuring climate justice and securing a sustainable and safer future for all, Iqbal said, underlining that climate change is a harsh reality that threatens the future of humanity.
He said that the developed nations must honor their commitments by providing the required financial, technical, and institutional support to climate-vulnerable countries to respond effectively to the unfolding crisis.
Highlighting the country's efforts to combat the climate issue, the minister said that Pakistan has taken the challenge of climate change seriously and has made it a central pillar of Pakistan's national economic planning framework.
Countries like Pakistan are among the most vulnerable to climate change impacts, he said, adding that his country has experienced the devastating effects of climate change in recent years, inflicting irreparable losses on human lives, the economy, agriculture, and vital infrastructure.
Over the past several decades, Iqbal said, the rate of glacial retreat has reached alarming levels, endangering Pakistan's water system, particularly the Indus River Basin.
The accelerated glacial melt threatens not only agriculture, but also water security, energy generation, and food availability in the country, he stressed. ■
