A process has been initiated to prepare a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) for building resilience to climate change, Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman told the National Assembly on Thursday.
During the question hour, she said the initiative was aimed at reducing vulnerabilities to climate impacts by creating comprehensive medium and long term plans including the integration of adaptation measures into national policy. The minister said Pakistan has been using nature-based solutions and ecosystem based adaptation in its national efforts to build climate resilience. Sherry Rehman said that Pakistan Climate Resilient Urban Policy Framework is being formulated which will take into account opportunities and challenges in achieving green and resilient urban development. Pakistan is facing the brunt of the climate crisis despite its small carbon footprint, she regretted.
Responding to a question, the minister said a biggest initiative of Living Indus has been envisaged after consultations with the provinces in order to protect the Indus River from environmental degradation. Meanwhile, Sherry Rehman said incentivisation of consumers was guarantee to end single-time use plastics pollution. Addressing the inaugural session of the high-level national consultative event: “Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia Initiative” of the Ministry of Climate Change jointly organised by South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP), the minister said plastic pollution was totally a capacity issue. Sherry Rehman said the plastic bags pollution was a complex issues that needed public’s stakeholder ownership to meet the task of shunning its overwhelming use in our day to day life business.
