Flood devastation: Canadian team offers to build climate-resilient structures

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar on Monday apprised a Canadian delegation led by the country’s Minister for International Development Harjit Sajjan of the devastation caused by the recent floods in Pakistan.

Minister Sajjan is leading a Canadian delegation to Pakistan to assess the level of devastation caused by floods that called on Ms Khar, said a Foreign Office statement.

The delegation includes three Pakistani-origin Members of Canadian Parliament, namely Iqra Khalid, Salma Zahid, and Shafqat Ali.

The statement said that Minister Sajjan expressed his deep sympathies for the flood victims and hoped for early rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Appreciating their visit to Pakistan at a critical time, the MoS thanked the Canadian minister and accompanying members of the delegation for showing solidarity with the flood victims.

She underlined the vast scale of devastation caused by the catastrophic floods which have affected more than 33 million people, destroyed critical infrastructure, and washed away four million acres of crops. She added that the calamity will have a long-term adverse impact on food security, health, and the economy in Pakistan.

She stressed that Pakistan, despite contributing less than one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, was bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. She underlined the urgent need for unified and decisive action by the international community to combat climate change and enhance climate financing to build resilience, especially in vulnerable developing countries.

The MoS further emphasized that, although the government was engaged in rescue and relief efforts, reconstruction and rehabilitation will require effective mobilization and long-term commitment of resources on part of the international community.

According to the statement, bilateral relations between Pakistan and Canada were also discussed and both sides expressed satisfaction at growing depth of the ties between both countries.

The MOS noted that Canada’s development projects in Pakistan have contributed towards women empowerment and socioeconomic uplift. She expressed the desire for cooperation in the areas of climate change, agriculture, and people-to-people contacts.

Minister Sajjan maintained that Canada was committed towards supporting Pakistan in dealing with the aftermath of the floods and its efforts to build climate-resilient structures.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022