ISLAMABAD
\nToday the United Nations, the Aga Khan Foundation and the Ministry of Climate Change & Environmental Coordination celebrated World Environment Day in Islamabad withan event raising awareness on how climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are affecting Pakistan, and how people are taking action.
\n\u201cPakistan is among the countries most adversely impacted by climate change, but it is leading the way with its climate diplomacy,\u201d said Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change. \u201cWe are educating our youthon this crucial subject. We will leave no stone unturned to slow environmental degradation down and increase our ability to deal with the fallout of global warming and its impacts on clean water, health, agriculture, food systems, and energy.\u201d
\nDuring the ceremony, Pakistan\u2019s \u2018Living Indus\u2019 initiative officially received the World Restoration Flagship award which the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) announced in March; UNEP supports Pakistan\u2019s National Adaptation Plan for building resilience to climate change. Living Indus is a Government-led initiative, which the UN supports, to restore the ecological health of the Indus River Basin. Moreover, the event paid tribute to 30 \u2018Climate Heroes\u2019 \u2014 women and men who take action against the climate crisis across the country.
\n\u201cJust last week,temperatures in Pakistan crossed 52 degree Celsius. We cannot turn back time, but we can take collective action to adapt to this new age of global warming,\u201dsaid Mr. Mohamed Yahya, the UN Resident Coordinator in Pakistan.\u201cAcross the country, communities are already trying to cope with the impact of climate change; they combat pollution, deforestation, rapid glacial melt, floods, droughts and heatwaves.
\nBy supporting \u2018Living Indus\u2019 and a range of innovative programmes, UNagencies aim to help them protect and restorenature, biodiversity, water sources, as well as their lives and livelihoods.\u201d The event marked the premiere of \u2018When the floods come\u2019, a new documentary by Nyal Mueenuddin.
\nThis young Pakistani filmmakerwent on a 3000km odyssey down the Indus River to capture the most intimate stories of how people\u2019slives are inextricably bound to climate change.The film will be screened again during apublic event at PNCA this Friday.
\n\u201cCommunities have been experiencing firsthand the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation. It is already transforming landscapes, habitats, livelihoods, and local aspirations, saidMr. Akhtar Iqbal, CEO, Aga Khan Foundation. \u201cThat said, we have witnessed how our collective actions can make a difference.
\nWe, at the Aga Khan Foundation and agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network, have been fully committed to doing our part for over 55 years and we will continue to support Pakistan to cope with the challenges ahead.
\nWe want to ensure that communities are empowered to be more resilient, have access to clean energy, adopt more sustainable natural resources management practices and contribute to large reforestation efforts. We also want to place women and young people at the centre of climate leadership and invest in their future through boosting green businesses and jobs.\u201d
\nIn Pakistan and all over the world, ecosystems are threatened. From forests and drylands to farmlands and lakes, natural spaces on which humanity\u2019s existence depends are reaching a tipping point. This year, World Environment Day focuses on land restoration, halting desertification?and building drought resilience under the slogan \u201cOur land.
\nOur future. We are #GenerationRestoration.\u201d Led by the UNEP, and heldannually since 1973, World Environment Day has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach. It is celebrated by millions of people across the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Today the United Nations, the Aga Khan Foundation and the Ministry of Climate Change & Environmental Coordination celebrated World Environment Day in Islamabad withan event raising awareness on how climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are affecting Pakistan, and how people are taking action. \u201cPakistan is among the countries most adversely impacted by climate […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":410876,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-411280","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n