ISLAMABAD: Abnormal climate events like the floods last year were likely to happen again, Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman cautioned on Tuesday.

“Some 70pc of climate models say climate crisis events may happen again. It is possible that events like droughts, forest fires, and flooding will wreak more havoc,” the minister said at a briefing about an international conference to be held in Geneva next week.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will chair the event, designated as the “International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan”.

“We have to make Pakistan climate-resilient, but it requires more resources. The navy, the air force and the army, along with provincial institutions, have a key role in rehabilitation efforts,” said Ms Rehman.

More than one year would be needed to complete the process for reviving the economy after the catastrophic floods inflicted a colossal loss of $30 billion, the minister added.

“More than 200,000 people, out of the 3.2 million affected by the floods, are waiting for aid. Among the victims are pregnant women,” Sherry Rehman told the media.

“One-third of the country’s area is under water. To tackle climate change, we have to change our lifestyles.”

Stagnant water had rendered a large portion of farmland uncultivable, the minister said. “We have limited resources to rehabilitate flood victims. Provinces will have to thrash out a strategy to supplement the federal government’s efforts.”

Published in Dawn, january 4th, 2023