Pakistan, Australia working together to reduce impact of Climate Change: High Commissioner Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri

Canberra: Pakistani High Commissioner to Australia Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said this week that Pakistan and Australia for working together to reduce the impact of Climate Change.

“Pakistan and Australia are working together for reducing the impact of Climate Change. Lahore has recently experienced several episodes of flooding due to heavy rains. This study will be helpful in finding the solution,” the envoy posted on X.

Earlier, Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Neil Hawkins said Australia and Pakistan have joined forces to reduce the impacts of flooding in Lahore.

“By funding an in depth study, we aim to increase #water reserves and redirect floodwater for reuse, which will reduce economic and human losses. Together, we can help the most vulnerable,” he posted on X.

A year following the largest natural disaster in its history, Pakistan continues to experience the devastating effects of its 2022 floods.

Despite a year passing since the start of the floods, UNICEF reports that eight million Pakistanis continue to need urgent humanitarian assistance due to malnutrition and disease.

Half of those still affected are children, with 1.5 million children currently facing life-threatening levels of malnutrition due to unsanitary conditions.

Pakistan’s 2022 floods were a stark reminder of how climate change affects vulnerable developing countries. Over a third of Pakistan was left submerged due to abnormally high levels of monsoon rain.

The World Meteorological Organisation attributed this to rising global carbon emissions with NASA scientists linking higher global temperatures to increased extreme flooding and droughts.

This disaster was not a singularity but rather an example of how climate change is structurally destroying the global ecosystem and the livelihoods of those living in vulnerable areas.