Pakistan PM Says Melting Glaciers Spur Urgent Flood Risk

(MENAFN) At the International High-Level Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation (ICGP) held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a stark warning about the escalating risk of floods driven by rapidly melting glaciers. He stressed the critical need for developed nations to fulfill their climate finance promises immediately to prevent worsening disasters.

Highlighting Pakistan’s unique vulnerability, Sharif revealed that the country hosts over 30,000 glaciers, making it exceptionally sensitive to climate fluctuations. "Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries to any climatic changes that impact glaciers," he emphasized.

The prime minister stressed that climate change transcends borders and called for stronger global cooperation to curb its harmful effects. Despite Pakistan’s contribution to global emissions being less than 1%, it ranks among the countries most severely impacted by climate change.

"I pray to Allah Almighty that other countries do not face this kind of devastation, which we faced back in 2022," Sharif stated, referring to the catastrophic floods that struck Pakistan last year.

In 2022, unprecedented flooding submerged roughly one-third of Pakistan, resulting in 1,700 fatalities and economic losses reaching a staggering $30 billion — a severe blow to the nation's fragile economy.

Although a Geneva conference in January 2023 secured commitments totaling about $10 billion from multilateral institutions and countries to aid Pakistan’s recovery, the majority of the pledged funds have yet to reach the affected communities.

As of June 2024, Pakistan has only received $2.8 billion from international creditors against the promised amounts, underscoring the urgency of accelerating climate finance delivery.

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