UN praises Pakistan for climate change efforts
A UN official on Tuesday praised Pakistan, which is still reeling
from catastrophic floods, for its voluntary efforts towards reducing the
emissions responsible for climate change.
Executive secretary of UN Framework Convention on Climatic
Change, Christiana Figueres. AFP |
UN framework convention on climatic change executive secretary
Christiana Figueres, told a press conference in Islamabad that Pakistan
was voluntarily participating in global efforts to reduce emissions.
“Pakistan currently does not have any legally binding obligation
under the (framework) convention or under the Kyoto Protocol. Pakistan
has participated on voluntary basis,” Figueres said.
She said Pakistan was implementing 10 projects under a Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM), which the Kyoto Protocol laid out for
developing countries, with another 145 in the pipeline.
“The intellectual contribution that Pakistan has had to the
development of the regime has certainly gone with praise
internationally,” Figueres said.
Environmental experts say Pakistan, an essentially agrarian country,
is vulnerable to climate change.
“Our emissions are just 0.38 percent (of global greenhouse gas
emissions), but these would rise as the economy grows and population
increases,” local environmental analyst Shafqat Kakakhel told AFP.
“Our vulnerability to climate change is the most important thing
because we are an agricultural country,” he said, warning that crops are
at risk from poor rainfall and that flood water could be stored for use
in the dry season.
“We need more research to produce seeds which require less water,” he
added.
According to research carried out for the United Nations, 2010 was
one of the worst years on record for natural disasters.
AFP |