ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United States held their second meeting of the Climate and Environment Working Group in Islamabad. The delegation, led by Pakistan’s Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman and the U.S. Department of State’s Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Monica Medina, discussed various climate and environmental issues, including climate change, energy transition, water management, climate-smart agriculture, air quality, biodiversity, and waste management, including plastics recycling.
The meeting highlighted the importance of building resilience to climate change and discussed the impact of the devastating floods that hit Pakistan in 2022. The United States expressed support for Pakistan’s “Living Indus” initiative to restore the ecological health of the Indus River Basin in Pakistan. Both governments pledged to continue their cooperation on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
The two countries also resolved to deepen their partnership through the U.S.-Pakistan “Green Alliance” framework, which will focus on agriculture, water, and clean energy. The delegations discussed the importance of adopting modern farming practices and innovative seed varieties to bolster resilience against climate change. On water management, the governments identified technical assistance, governance, and water efficiency mechanisms as areas ripe for cooperation. Both governments emphasized the importance of supporting nature-based solutions and building community resilience to climate change.
In addition to advancing their sustainable economic growth cooperation, the United States announced new programs in Pakistan, including a $4.5 million program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to strengthen fertilizer efficiency and effectiveness for Pakistani farmers. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced new activities in Pakistan to promote climate-smart agriculture and climate finance. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will start sharing weather data on glacial melt with the Ministry of Climate Change and other local stakeholders to strengthen Pakistan’s flood forecasting and disaster response capabilities. Pakistan informed the United States about the approval of its new National Clean Air Policy and explained its recent waste management actions, including on plastics.
Finally, the United States and Pakistan pledged to collaborate on a successful year as the 2023 co-chairs of the Green Climate Fund Board. The Climate and Environment Working Group has made new commitments to partner together, continuing to advance their cooperation in agriculture, water, and energy transition through the U.S.-Pakistan “Green Alliance” framework.
