PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker government on Wednesday set up a dedicated climate change cell within the planning and development department to help tackle the challenges posed by the climate change phenomenon.

A statement issued here said that the climate change cell was the first of its kind in the region that would integrate climate considerations into development, planning and budgeting.

The cell was launched during a ceremony, attended by head of Development Cooperation, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr Sebastian Paust, additional chief secretary Mohammad Zubair Asghar Qureshi and representatives from development partners and government departments.

The establishment of the cell has been made possible through funding from the Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

“This partnership marks a significant milestone in the collaboration between Pakistan and Germany in addressing the pressing global issue of climate change,” the statement said.

“The climate change cell is a much-needed initiative because we are witnessing recent manifestations like 2010 and 2022 floods. We have a long association with GIZ, and they have collaborated with the KP government in diverse areas. The climate change cell will enable us to address the impacts caused by climate change and improve the climate governance at provincial level,” said additional chief secretary Zubair Asghar Qureshi.

On the occasion, Dr Sebastian Paust said that GIZ, on behalf of the German government, was collaborating in all such initiatives that helped climate resilience. “Climate change is a global cause, and we all should play our role. Germany stands by Pakistan in addressing such challenges.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2023