ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has praised collective efforts of federal and provincial governments, armed forces and other institutions in tackling the immediate challenge posed by the recent devastating floods. He said as a result of this synergy, “we managed to mitigate the impact of the disaster.”
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Speaking here in Islamabad on Monday, he announced to close down the platform of National Flood Response Center, saying the mission of emergency response was accomplished.
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The federal minister said that a framework had been prepared to make Pakistan climate resilient country, and the framework would also be presented to the international community for their support.
Ahsan Iqbal said the process of rehabilitation and reconstruction would be carried out under a new format and institutionalized setting to build a climate resilient and adaptable infrastructure.
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The Minister for Planning pointed out that the floods inflicted a damage of over thirty billion dollars which is ten percent of the GDP. He said Balochistan and Sindh provinces witnessed the worst devastation. He urged the philanthropists to continue to help the flood victims till their complete rehabilitation.
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Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change and help is being sought from the international community to cope with this challenge. He said the establishment of loss and damage fund at the Climate Summit in Sharm Al Sheikh is a big triumph as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and leaders of other developing nations strongly presented their case.
