Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have announced a collaborative effort on June 24 to bolster Pakistan’s climate resilience.
The agreement was formalized during a Climate Adaptation Roundtable in Islamabad, hosted by the Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Climate Change, Romina Khurshid Alam, and attended by Bill Gates, chairman of the Foundation.
The roundtable, held at the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Headquarters, was co-hosted by NDMA Chairperson Lt. Gen. Inam Haider Malik.
PM’s climate aide Romina Khurshid Alam detailed the severe impacts of climate change on Pakistan, highlighting frequent and intense floods, heatwaves, forest fires, and droughts affecting key socio-economic sectors such as agriculture, water, energy, health, and education.
“Despite the lowest contribution in climate change causing carbon emissions, Pakistan is facing the worst effects of global warming and making all-out efforts to deal with the impacts so as to protect lives and livelihoods of the country’s vulnerable communities,” Alam informed Gates.
Alam emphasized Pakistan’s commitment to global climate action and the necessity of ongoing dialogue with both domestic and international partners to enhance collaboration and support. “Pakistan is also committed to support global climate action at all levels to protect the global community from the deleterious impacts of global warming,” she said.
Bill Gates praised the Pakistani government’s climate policies and initiatives, despite financial constraints, and assured continued support from his Foundation. He committed to providing technical and non-technical assistance to enhance Pakistan’s climate resilience across various sectors.
During the roundtable, Gates met with private sector leaders from health, agriculture, technology, and climate finance sectors, discussing ongoing efforts and potential collaborations to address climate challenges. Gates highlighted the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in tackling climate issues and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Pakistan’s climate adaptation strategies.