Boston University Dean Emeritus Dr Adil Najam has stated that poor countries like Pakistan must adapt to climate change and build resilience to natural disasters, while the rich countries in the Global North must fulfil their commitment to reducing carbon emissions.

He was delivering a lecture titled, “From Indus to Sharm El Sheikh: A Desi Perspective on Climate Change” at Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad. Climate is no longer a future issue, he said, so the use of future connotations for climate makes people believe that they have more time whereas recent extreme climate events have proved otherwise.

The context of climate change for Pakistan is not the same as it is for the rest of the world, particularly the Global North, he said adding, “We have lost the window of opportunity where we together could control climate change and now the impact on every country is different.” How climate change interacts with Pakistan is not the same as the rest of the world, he said. Therefore, we must be the providers of the agenda on climate change and not the receivers, he added.

Dr Adil said that now is the time to start adapting since climate change has fundamentally changed the nature of climate politics and policy. He recalled the Paris Agreement had promised very low emissions, as it made climate action and commitments voluntary action rather than a legal compulsion like the Kyoto Protocol. Since the first Conference of the Parties (COP) was held 27 years ago, financing commitments have been made but not made available.  

He said 90% of the country’s population lives in the Indus Basin; every 9 out of 10 cities are within a 50 km range of the Indus, which is causing changes in the Indus and it is a demographic challenge as well. He suggested improving the efficiency of the use of water for enhanced crop per drop.  

Dr Adil said the first casualty of COVID-19 was multilateralism; cooperation in crisis was challenged and failed. He said this has revealed that even in the face of a global crisis, we should not expect cooperation rather states will prioritise their interests above all.  

He said that after every climate catastrophe, economic activity will continue as victims will pour from their savings and pump into the economy for their survival.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suelri said Pakistan is chairing a group of 136 countries at COP 27 and with these countries, onboard Pakistan will push the Global North for their lack of commitment to climate action.  

Kyoto Protocol was binding on emission reduction targets for the entire global community on board, but it was set aside from the USA. He said that at COP 20 held in Paris, the US made a winning move by removing the binding nature of commitments on emission reduction and climate action, which removed the aspect of accountability. Global South is looking towards Global North to meet its commitment to financing, which is to meet climate justice, he said.  

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk