Beijing on October 28. In an exclusive interview with China Economic Net, Dr. Zhou Jinfeng, Secretary-General of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), stressed the need of both financial and other forms of support for Pakistan in their fight against the floods.
In Pakistan, a major energy problem existed even before the June monsoon season. Unprecedented floods brought on by the torrential rains have submerged a third of the nation and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.
Despite contributing less than 1% of the world’s carbon emissions, Pakistan is one of the top 10 nations most impacted by climate change. "We must participate. We must take responsibility, "Everyone on earth, especially the wealthy nations, is to blame for Pakistan’s climate issue, Zhou continued.
The flooding in Pakistan has shown how urgent it is to address climate change. In order to meet the expanding needs of those impacted, the UN increased its emergency appeal for relief to Pakistan from the original $160 million to $816 million earlier this month. Flood damage demonstrated the urgent need for long-term assistance that will endure into the following year. The public in flood-affected areas would endure a tough economy, experts added.
"Promoting the deployment of green technology is of long-term relevance for helping poor nations cope with climate change, in addition to short-term financial and material aid,” Dr. Zhou Jinfeng told CEN.
To combat this, the CBCGDF has teamed up with the UNHCR to start projects that will promote the development of green technology in Pakistan’s energy sector and in the agricultural production system in the nation’s arid and semi-arid regions.
"Promoting the deployment of green technology is of long-term relevance for helping poor nations cope with climate change, in addition to short-term financial and material aid,” Dr. Zhou Jinfeng told CEN.
To combat this, the CBCGDF has teamed up with the UNHCR to start projects that will promote the development of green technology in Pakistan’s energy sector and the agricultural production system in the nation’s arid and semi-arid regions.
Dr. Zhou Jinfeng noted that "technologies are critical to our response to the climate issues in Pakistan” and explained that they developed the Report of Monitoring and Assessment of Desert Locust in Africa and Asia with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other institutes to concentrate on the dynamics of desert locust monitoring and loss assessment in Yemen, Ethiopia, and Pakistan. In addition, the CBCGDF collaborated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Water Resources and the Institute of Soil and Water Conservation to support Pakistani citizens in adjusting to climate change and rebuilding their houses following natural catastrophes.
"We are born equally of carbon: carbon rights and carbon duties,” is what I felt. Everyone must adapt or similar catastrophes will occur "He continued.
On October 19, Pakistan reported that the World Bank estimated that the record-breaking floods this summer had damaged this poor South Asian country to the tune of $40 billion. The amount is $10 billion greater than the Pakistani government’s initial estimate.
