Qatar pledges support for Pakistani socio-economic sectors

ISLAMABAD: A high-ranking Qatari technical delegation led by Colonel Ahmed Abdullah Al-Abdullah met on Thursday with Romina Khurshid Alam, the prime minister’s coordinator for climate change.

During the meeting at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, bilateral interests were discussed, including climate risk management, environmental protection, water management, energy, forests and disaster risk management.

Romina Khurshid Alam briefed the Qatari delegation on efforts by Pakistan under Prime Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif to enhance climate resilience and protect vulnerable communities.

She highlighted the challenges Pakistan faces due to climate change, such as rising temperatures, frequent floods and intense heatwaves that are putting strain on resources and infrastructure.

She highlighted Pakistan’s dependence on river systems for agriculture and water supply, noting the impact of climate on water availability and quality. Romina Khurshid Alam also outlined the government’s initiatives in climate change mitigation, environmental protection, water efficiency, energy conservation, tree planting, flood risk management and heatwave response.

Colonel Ahmed Abdullah Al-Abdullah praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s initiatives in environmental protection, climate risk management, disaster management and various national programmes.

He expressed Qatar’s awareness of Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change and promised support in socio-economic sectors such as agriculture, water management, energy, food security, health and education.

The Qatari delegation pledged to provide technical and non-technical support to help Pakistan achieve its goals in climate change, environmental protection, disaster risk management and flood protection.

Romina Khurshid Alam thanked the delegation for their support in resolving these crucial issues.