Pakistan is among the countries that are most vulnerable to climate impacts. The country is already experiencing a wide range of negative effects, including severe flooding, as the 2022 floods have shown, heatwaves with temperatures of more than 40°C and severe water shortages. Adaptation to these impacts is complicated by limited capacities, lack of investments and political instability, which make it difficult to implement long-term adaptation plans.
Participants of the Pakistani delegation confirmed these challenges, some of which were also reflected in the different inputs given by members from the research department RD2 and colleagues from the University of Kassel. Topics included previous and ongoing activities related to Pakistan, such as the Climate Risk Profile for Pakistan and a new project on climate change mainstreaming into higher education in Pakistan, which is implemented jointly with the University of Kassel. Another input addressed the water-energy-food nexus, which is highly relevant in Pakistan because the country is facing significant challenges related to water scarcity, energy production, and food security. Finally, the topic of loss and damage was discussed in the context of Pakistan, since the country is already experiencing climate impacts at a magnitude which exceeds the scope of adaptation and mitigation action. Hence, certain risks will remain and will have to be addressed through different financial mechanisms.
In the coming months, members of PIK and the University of Kassel will organize different activities with regards to Pakistan, including workshops with stakeholders from higher education in Pakistan and a summer school at PIK with early-career researchers from the Global Change Impact Studies Centre.
Participants of the delegation included representatives from the Global Change Impact Studies Centre, the National Disaster Management Authority and the Ministry of Climate Change, among others, as well as the GIZ team from the Pakistan-German Climate and Energy Initiative.
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