Pakistan is counting on the next United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as the Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, to adopt specific measures that will obligate the biggest polluters in the world to compensate countries suffering from climate change.
The 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP27, will take place in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, from November 6–18, 2022. Following his support for an immediate climate action plan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was appointed vice-chairperson for the COP27 and is expected to participate.
Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi, the president of Egypt and chair of COP27, invited the prime minister of Pakistan to co-chair the COP-27 roundtable conference with the prime minister of Norway.
World leaders, think tanks, head of states, and representatives from major financial institutions will attend the gathering, which the UN organised to discuss climate change and the need for sustainable solutions.
Due to Pakistan’s active participation in speaking out about the climate catastrophe and the need for action in international and regional forums, PM Shehbaz was chosen from among the 193 UN member states to receive the honour.
PM demanded immediate international action on climate change on local and international platforms, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, after the devastating floods ravaged Pakistan and forced millions of people to flee their homes.
The prime minister will convey Pakistan’s case and inform COP27 of the harm done by the floods brought on by the severe rains. Pakistan has attributed the calamity to the weather. The nation is one of the top 10 countries affected by climate change while producing less than 1% of the world’s emissions.
Pakistan need at least $16.3 billion for post-flood rehabilitation and reconstruction, according to the most recent assessment of the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA).
According to the PDNA report, which was published by government and international development institution officials, the cost of floods was estimated at $30.1 billion, consisting of $14.9 billion in damages and $15.2 billion in losses.
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The amount is $2.2 billion less than what the administration initially declared during a donors’ roundtable in the US earlier this month. The report’s scope is restricted to 94 calamity-hit districts, omitting those that experienced flooding but were not officially designated as calamity-hit.
According to what the government and the international community can do for the flood-affected people given their restricted resources, Pakistan will need a minimum of $16.3 billion for rehabilitation and reconstruction, said Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal at the launching event last week.
Housing was the industry that was most negatively impacted, with losses of $636 million and damages of $5.6 billion. The restoration of this industry will cost $2.8 billion.
The $13 billion in losses and damages, which included $3.7 billion in direct damages, were incurred by the agriculture, food, cattle, and fisheries industry. $4 billion will be required by the government for recovery and construction.
The transportation and communication sector experienced losses and damages of $3.6 billion, and it has the biggest demands of any sector, estimated at $5 billion. Sindh has suffered the most, paying out a total of $20.4 billion, or 68% of the entire cost, for damages and losses totaling $9 billion and $11.4 billion, respectively.
Damages and losses were $4.1 billion in Balochistan, $1.6 billion in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and $1.1 billion in Punjab. According to officials, the prime minister would request assistance from the international community and present the damage assessment report before the COP27.
Despite statements of sympathy from foreign leaders, Pakistan has not yet received the help it had hoped for. Officials said that Pakistan would join other developing nations in the fight for climate reparations, a topic that rich countries have continuously pushed to the bottom of the priority list in recent years.