Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman says Pakistan is making considerable efforts to deal with climate change.

She has urged the world to take action to tackle climate change as it knows no borders, sects or colours. She was speaking at a session on healthy and sustainable environment.

The speakers urged the Asia-Pacific region countries to develop and advance legislation, regulation and policy to protect, promote and realize the right to a clean healthy and sustainable environment.

Speaking at the session on “Building resilience to preserve our common future”, the speakers reflected on national-level options for promoting a green recovery in their respective countries, including options concerning clean energy, biodiversity and waste management and circularity.

They said green recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic is a way to help achieve environmental and sustainable development objectives. They highlighted the persistent environmental challenges that undermine the achievement of SDGs in various countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The legislators discussed linkages between habitat loss environmental degradation and climate change, and the emergence of novel zoonotic diseases such as coronavirus. They emphasized the need for enacting legislation that supports sustainable consumption and production, circularity and sustainable waste management, including waste treatment and safe handling of healthcare and biochemical waste.

Sherry Rehmam remarked that apart from various socioeconomic challenges, Pakistan was making efforts to deal with climate change.

This session focused on the importance of reducing risk and building resilience to disasters and other shocks to safeguard development gains. It shed light on the importance of reducing risk and building resilience to catastrophes and other shocks. It also highlighted the persistent environmental challenges that subvert the achievement of SDGs in different countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The delegates of various countries described the critical role of parliamentarians in reducing disaster risk and presenting key actions they can take to advance risk reduction at the national and local levels. They asked for prioritising laws and regulations that require public investment in conservation programmes, sustainable agriculture initiatives and urban green infrastructure in order to reduce deforestation and habitat loss.

The session noted that there should be financial instruments to fund long-term disaster risk reduction initiatives and prioritize citizen engagements in discussions on risk disasters to promote inclusive strategies that are responsive to the risks and needs of constituents.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk