WASHINGTON: floods in Pakistan is a warning to other countries that climate change can cause unimaginable damage if the right action is taken. steps not accepted immediately, said Pakistani Ambassador to the US Masood Khan in interaction with in media at the National Press Club of Washington on Sunday.
“This phenomenon will grow, whether in Pakistan or any other country. in South Asia or world,” he said. “Today it is Pakistan, tomorrow it will be another country.”
New York Times informed on Sunday what’s the scale of devastation in pakistan stands out even in a year punctuated by extremes weather”.
Edition: It’s naive to expect world to support post-flood rehabilitation, recovery work in a big way
Officials and rescuers in Pakistan “warned that the damage and economic loss would be felt throughout the country. for months and years ahead, report added.
“Even after the floods subside, rural communities face a possible second wave of deaths from food shortages and diseases transmitted through contaminated water and animals.”
Ambassador Masood Khan noted that messages in in international media “demonstrated heartbreaking visual effects” of affected areas, but “this is only part of of disaster that we facing in Pakistan”.
emphasizing need for collective response to destruction caused climate change, the envoy said: “We should make a rapid transition from mitigation and adaptation to preparedness and resilience.”
The ambassador warned against a post-flood food crisis due to floods destroyed over 5.5 million acres of farmland.
“The World Food Program and others international organizations must come forward as well as give necessary support to people of Pakistan so that we can maintain our food security,” he said.
Pakistani envoy proposed setting up a credible climate finance mechanism for support those countries that have been affected by climate change.
Experts blame climate change for this yearunprecedented floods in Pakistan which cover area the size of United Kingdom. Experts indicate out that Pakistan responsible for total 0.4 percent of emissions are to blame in the world for climate change, but most affected by it.
Nuclear assets
Islamabad assured international community floods caused no harm to nuclear assets as they are well protected and safe.
During the briefing, a journalist asked the ambassador “what impact the floods had on in Pakistan had on nuclear facilities of the country and what specifically government is being done to protect these sensitive areas from severe water damage.”
“According to the reviews that I have, our nuclear assets and our nuclear systems are secure and there is no vulnerability,” Ambassador Khan replied.
Published in Dawn, September 12, 2022
