Pakistan, Kazakhstan to work jointly for making Central Asia climate resilient
In a significant step toward global climate action, Pakistan and Kazakhstan have reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing collaboration to address climate risks, environmental challenges, energy issues, air pollution, and water scarcity faced by both nations.
This agreement was reached during a meeting on Thursday between Romina Khurshid Alam, the Prime Minister’s coordinator on Climate Change, and a delegation from the Kazakhstan embassy led by Ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin.
Ambassador Kistafin expressed Kazakhstan’s deep interest in strengthening people-to-people contact through tourism and engagement in various socio-economic development sectors, including bilateral trade, education and research, environment, climate change, disaster risk reduction, renewable energy, and efficient water management, aiming to improve the quality of life and the environment in both countries.
He also offered Kazakhstan’s technical, technological, and financial support through joint efforts with Pakistan’s climate change and environmental coordination ministry to build climate resilience, promote eco-tourism, climate-smart agriculture, and boost renewable energy generation.
Romina Khurshid Alam thanked the ambassador for Kazakhstan’s offer to collaborate on climate change, energy, agriculture, water, and eco-tourism. She assured the ambassador of her full support, stating, “I would mobilize every possible resource to engage with the Kazakhstan government through the embassy to benefit from their experiences in climate risk management, renewable energy, efficient water management, disaster management, sustainable farming practices, and eco-tourism.”
During the meeting, Romina Khurshid highlighted the Central Asia region’s vulnerability to climate change impacts due to its unique geographical and climatic conditions. She noted that the region is experiencing significant warming, with temperatures rising faster than the global average, leading to more frequent and severe heatwaves that affect agriculture, water resources, and human health.
She also pointed out the rapid shrinking of glaciers in the Tien Shan and Pamir mountain ranges, which are crucial for providing water to rivers and lakes that support agriculture and drinking water supplies, warning of the increased risk of reduced water availability as these glaciers recede.
Romina Khurshid stressed that addressing these vulnerabilities requires a regional approach, including improving water management, adopting climate-resilient agricultural practices, and investing in infrastructure to cope with extreme weather events. Regional cooperation is crucial, as many issues, such as transboundary water management, involve multiple countries in Central Asia.
Ambassador Kistafin agreed with Romina Khurshid, acknowledging the common environmental and climate challenges faced by the region. He committed that Kazakhstan would utilize every possible resource and work closely with Pakistan to tackle these challenges through bilateral and regional approaches involving other climate-vulnerable countries in Central Asia.
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