ISLAMABAD – Federal Minister Sherry Rehman on Thursday said that cabinet has approved the Living Indus Initiative that will be helpful for country’s largest climate resilience projects.
“It is high time we push forward an Axis of Adaptation for building our defences against the onset of accelerated climate change,” the minister said while addressing a press conference.
“Building climate resilience via adaptation planning is the most urgent need of the moment to protect our population,” Sherry Rehman said. The Minister believed that the initiatives will be helpful for replenishing and recharging jugular vein for food, livelihood, and water security.
“River Indus is the lifeline of the country, supporting 80% of Pakistan’s agriculture and 3/4ths of its economy,” she said, adding that the River serves as one of biggest carbon sinks and is constantly under threat from drastic impacts of climate change. “Despite the rains and groundwater recharge due to the ongoing floods, Pakistan is still going to face water scarcity in the near future,” she said.
Sherry Rehman said, “This is one of the largest ventures of its kind in Pakistan’s history that will move from the north down to the base of the Indus Delta in the south.”
She said Pakistan has been placed in the top 10 high-risk countries in the world by the World Risk Index 2022 and floods have already affected our critical sectors like food, health and economy, making adaptation is the urgent need of the hour.
“Climate Change is a clear national security challenge for the country and Pakistan’s natural resources including the Indus and its ecosystem are under massive pressure from the inexorable changing climate, unpredictable temperatures rise, disruptive rain patterns and melting glaciers.” said the minister.
Giving details of the project, Sherry Rehman said, “The initiative, proposes a menu of 25 interventions that aim to address serious climate challenges on the ground with an emphasis on nature-based solutions, green infrastructure and ecosystem-based adaptation approaches to protect, conserve and restore natural, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems.”