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This disaster is seen as a direct consequence of global warming caused by emissions from rich countries. Hence the urgent demand from the Islamabad government.
Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations who will be there at the end of the week, very quickly mentioned a ” climate disaster “. An apocalyptic catastrophe: a third of the country is under water after the peaks of heat wave and spring drought. These deadly monsoons, fueled among other things by the ultra-rapid melting of Pakistan’s many glaciers, are far from over. A new deluge of precipitation is announced for mid-September. Due to its geography, this large Southeast Asian country is clearly identified as one of the most exposed to climate change. It is ranked among the ten most vulnerable countries, according to the Global Climate index 2021.
Pakistani Prime Minister and his team call for polluting countries to pay
In an interview at Guardian, Pakistani Minister for Climate Change, Sherry Rehman, reminds anyone who will listen that her country is only responsible for 1% of greenhouse gas emissions. He cannot therefore be held responsible for the damage he is currently suffering. Hundreds of bridges and roads need to be rebuilt, not to mention millions of houses and a good part of agricultural production destroyed by this disaster. The bill is estimated at around $10 billion.
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And right now, no one is willing to pay the bill for compensation in the name of global warming. Several Gulf countries, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, quickly signed checks. Due to their religious and diplomatic proximity to Islamabad. But not as oil powers concerned about the climate repercussions of their economy.
The IMF has also promised a new loan as part of its traditional interventions
It is the twenty-second of the fund in favor of this State in a situation of almost permanent financial stress for 60 years. Even before this deluge, Pakistan was on the verge of default, already negotiating with the fund to avoid bankruptcy. In this country born of the split with India, military spending has been privileged to the detriment of development. The country now imports far more than it exports and its growth is far too weak to provide substantial tax revenue.
Successive governments are accountable for these economic failures, for the poor governance and corruption that plagues activity, and therefore for the level of poverty, which also partly explains the extent of the damage. On the other hand, they are not responsible for the unleashing of the weather and Islamabad will use all instances to advance its cause.
The issue will be discussed at COP 27 scheduled for Egypt in November
Pakistan currently chairs the Group of 77, a group of developing countries plus China that seeks to promote its interests globally. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wants to use this platform to spread his message in Sharm el-Sheikh. A lost cause according to regulars of climate conferences. In Glasgow, the subject has already been fiercely discussed and challenged, under pressure from the United States, followed by other large carbon emitters. They are now facing a double crisis: those of the climate and of energy. They seek to reduce their emissions and change their energy mix. On the other hand, they remain very discreet about compensation and adaptation funding for countries that are victims of climate change. It is literally the empty chair policy. On September 5, no European Head of State traveled to Rotterdam to take part in the summit for climate adaptation in Africa.
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