Your Excellency Minister Sherry Rehman, Minister of Climate Change, Pakistan
Excellencies, distinguished guests, partners and friends,
It is an honor for me to be here and to deliver this speech on behalf of Inger Andersen, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNEP. Ms. Andersen was keen to be here, but due to unforeseen circumstances she was unable to join us. However, in her meetings and exchanges with you, Madam Minister, she has stressed UNEP’s firm commitment to Pakistan. Ms Andersen also wanted me to stress that she is looking forward to making a visit to Pakistan at the earliest opportunity, and hopefully in the coming few weeks.
Excellencies, distinguished guests,
As we saw in the devastating 2022 floods, Pakistan and the Indus Basin are on the frontline of climate change. But Pakistan and the Indus Basin are also on the frontline of nature and biodiversity loss. And on the frontline of the pollution and waste crisis. These three fronts of the triple planetary crisis must be tackled together – by easing planetary pressures and building resilience to climate change.
The Living Indus initiative, which is complimentary to 4RF, is the kind of forward-looking approach that we need to see. The initiative understands that what worked before – in terms of infrastructure, agriculture, finance and much more – may not work in a warming world. It understands that we must invest more in adaptation to deal with growing climate impacts – impacts the global community acknowledged at COP27, including by agreeing on a new approach to Loss and Damage.
Initial consultations on the initiative have produced a menu of interventions, focusing on nature-based solutions, ecosystem-based adaptation approaches and resilient infrastructure to deal with floods and groundwater recharge.
But the initiative will only deliver these interventions with the involvement of every actor. Every province and ministry. The UN system. The private sector. Civil society and academia. And of course the communities living with and depending on the river and its bounty.
The Living Indus initiative must also play its part in meeting the Global Biodiversity Framework and delivering on the right to a healthy environment. Because the triple planetary crisis is one indivisible crisis.
We have seen signs of a whole of government, whole of society approach so far. The UN system has provided support under the leadership of the UNRC – and special thanks to FAO for leaning in. UNEP will, of course, also play its part. At the request of Minister Rahman, UNEP – a Green Climate Fund-accredited entity – will provide support through an investment framework that provides space for all actors. My colleague Jessica Troni will make a technical presentation and provide more details on this framework. We are very grateful for the initial interest by the GCF in this initiative and are very pleased that Yannick Glemarec is present at this event.
Yes, there is much work to do under the initiative. There will be some difficult choices ahead, on legal and institutional reforms, land tenure, agriculture and much more. But these difficult choices will be worth it. Because the Living Indus initiative can help to create a healthy, thriving and climate-resilient Indus Basin – if we all get behind it.
