SLAMABAD: Pakistan urged wealthy nations on Thursday to deliver rapid, grant based and predictable climate financing for vulnerable developing countries, warning that recurring disasters were deepening debt distress and eroding years of development gains.
The call was issued at a high level event titled “Operationalising Loss and Damage: Financing Resilience and Recovery in Vulnerable Countries,” held at the Pakistan Pavilion on the sidelines of the COP30 summit in Belém, Brazil. The session was organised by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination in partnership with UNICEF.
Climate Change Secretary Aisha Humera Moriani said Pakistan continued to invest heavily in strengthening national resilience despite contributing less than one per cent to global emissions. She cited the devastating floods of 2022 and 2025, which displaced millions and inflicted multi billion dollar losses, as examples of the mounting burden carried by countries with a negligible role in global warming.
Participants included representatives of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, government officials, development partners and experts. They examined how to operationalise the global Loss and Damage framework and agreed that repeated climate shocks had pushed several economies into what they described as a debt emergency, forcing countries to borrow for reconstruction in the absence of adequate grants.
Speakers said new, additional and concessional financing was essential if Loss and Damage support was to be meaningful. They warned that children in countries like Pakistan were bearing the brunt of worsening climate stress, with disasters undermining nutrition, health, education and mental wellbeing. Moriani said climate events were not only damaging infrastructure but “robbing a generation of its right to safety and opportunity”.
The discussion underscored the need to prioritise the Barbados Implementation Modalities, which call for simplified procedures, faster disbursement and flexible financial windows for countries with limited fiscal space. Participants also highlighted the need for financing that addresses slow onset climate impacts such as glacial melt, desertification and sea level rise.
Ministry spokesperson Muhammad Saleem Shaikh said the dialogue placed particular focus on vulnerable groups, noting that non economic losses such as trauma, displacement and cultural disruption remained poorly recognised in global frameworks. He said Pakistan planned to submit two proposals under the Loss and Damage fund’s initial cycle to support reconstruction of key social infrastructure and bolster resilience in sectors including agriculture and water resources.
He added that domestic resources were being mobilised, but the scale of losses exceeded national capacity. Calling Loss and Damage financing a matter of national survival, the ministry said climate justice and the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities must guide global action. It urged developed countries and multilateral institutions to convert commitments into tangible financial delivery.
Moriani said Pakistan remained committed to working with the UN, international partners and climate finance bodies to build an equitable system that ensures vulnerable countries receive the support needed to recover and adapt to intensifying climate impacts.
Good post! We will be linking to this particularly great post on our site. Keep up the great writing