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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed the confidence that the Geneva conference marks only the beginning of a long and arduous journey, but a substantive outcome will reassure millions of imperilled people that the international community will help them rebuild their lives.
In an article appeared in The Guardian, Shehbaz Sharif has urged world leaders, representatives of international development and humanitarian organisations, and friends of Pakistan to signal support and solidarity with a country that is grappling with a natural disaster not of its making.
Shehbaz Sharif said he and the UN Secretary General are co-hosting the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan in Geneva on Monday to garner support from the international community for the flood affected people of Pakistan.
The Prime Minister said a comprehensive roadmap for post-flood reconstruction and rehabilitation, to be presented at the conference has been developed with the assistance of the World Bank, the UN, the Asian Development Bank and the European Union.
He said the roadmap essentially envisages a two-pronged response. The first part relates to meeting the immediate challenges of recovery and reconstruction, requiring minimum funding of 16.3 billion dollars over a period of three years. He said Pakistan would meet half the funding from its own resources but will count on the continued assistance of our bilateral and multilateral partners to bridge the gap.
The second part outlines Pakistan’s long-term vision for building climate resilience, that would require an investment of 13.5 billion dollars over a 10-year period.
Source: Radio Pakistan