Impacts of climate change on ecosystem devastating beyond repair: Romina Khurshid

Celina Ali

Islamabad: Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Romina Khurshid Alam on Monday said the impacts of climate change were devastating the ecosystems beyond repair, with extreme weather events and slow-onset disasters disrupting the lives of millions of people.

She was speaking at the 27th Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change here, said a press release.

The theme of this year’s conference is ‘From Fragility to Resilience: Enhancing Sustainable Development’. Ms Alam said smog across the border was causing loss of lives and spreading diseases, especially in Lahore.

She affirmed the government’s commitment to building resilience under the guidance of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, highlighting the government’s efforts to combat plastic pollution as part of its broader waste management strategy.

SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri said the world, and Pakistan in particular, stood at a crossroads.

He said: “In recent years, we’ve endured immense trials: the Covid-19 pandemic halted global life, testing even the most advanced health systems. Then, the Ukraine war disrupted energy supplies, raising costs and impacting economies worldwide, including Pakistan’s.”

In his opening remarks, SDPI Chairperson Shafqat Kakakhel highlighted global issues, including political conflicts like those taking place in Ukraine and Palestine, climate crises, as well as rising poverty, which had impacted 1.1 billion people worldwide.