Alisha Abid: Islamabad:

Pakistan has called for fast, predictable, and grant-based climate financing for vulnerable developing countries, warning that repeated climate catastrophes are deepening debt crises and reversing development gains in nations least responsible for global emissions.

The call was issued at a high-level COP30 side event, “Operationalising Loss and Damage: Financing Resilience and Recovery in Vulnerable Countries,” co-hosted by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination and UNICEF at the Pakistan Pavilion in Belém, Brazil.

In her keynote remarks, Secretary Aisha Humera Moriani said Pakistan continues to invest heavily in strengthening resilience even though it contributes less than one percent to global greenhouse gas emissions. She recalled the devastating 2022 and 2025 floods, which displaced millions, destroyed infrastructure, and inflicted multi-billion-dollar losses.

“These increasingly frequent disasters highlight the unfair climate burden on countries that played almost no role in warming the planet,” she said.

Representatives from the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), government officials, development partners, and climate experts discussed ways to activate the global Loss and Damage mechanism. Panellists stressed that repeated climate shocks have pushed many vulnerable economies into a “debt emergency,” forcing them to borrow for reconstruction due to insufficient grant-backed support.

They underscored that new, additional, and concessional financing is essential for Loss and Damage assistance to have lasting impact.

Speakers emphasised the severe toll on children—nearly half of Pakistan’s population is under 18—highlighting impacts on nutrition, health, education, and mental wellbeing. “Climate disasters are not only destroying infrastructure; they are robbing an entire generation of safety and opportunity,” Moriani noted.

The discussion also highlighted the need to prioritise the Barbados Implementation Modalities (BIM), which call for simplified applications, faster disbursement, and flexible financial windows for countries with limited fiscal space. Participants stressed financing tools to address slow-onset events such as glacial melt, desertification, and sea-level rise.

Ministry spokesperson Muhammad Saleem Shaikh told APP that a significant part of the dialogue focused on vulnerable groups, especially children and youth. He said non-economic losses—including trauma, cultural disruption, displacement, and community fragmentation—remain under-recognised in global climate policy.

He added that Pakistan plans to submit two proposals under the FRLD’s first funding cycle, aimed at rebuilding critical social infrastructure and improving resilience in agriculture, community systems, and water resources. While mobilising domestic resources, he said, the scale of losses far exceeds national capacity.

Calling Loss and Damage financing a matter of national survival, the ministry reiterated that climate justice and the principles of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) must guide global action. “Climate justice demands immediate access. Our people cannot wait,” it stressed, urging developed countries and financial institutions to turn commitments into real financial support.

Moriani reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to working with the UN, global partners, and international climate finance bodies to shape a fair and effective recovery framework—one that ensures vulnerable nations receive the resources they need to recover, rebuild, and adapt to escalating climate impacts.