ISLAMABAD: Executive Director COMSATS, Ambassador Dr. Mohammad Nafees Zakaria emphasized that the Global South need to capitalise on its strengths and play its due role in advancing climate action, shaping global climate policy, and contributing to a sustainable and resilient future for all.
He noted that while one can’t fight the nature no matter how powerful a country may be but efforts based on recurring experience supported devising ways to help prepare, and mitigate impact by bringing about solutions manifested in scientific, political, social and cultural measures.
Ambassador Zakaria urged participants to consider advice to states for using policy instrument to address impact of solid waste on deteriorating environment & climate change. He was addressing a webinar in Islamabad, titled ‘Advancing Climate Diplomacy in the Global South: The Road to COP28’.
The webinar, organized by the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), in hybrid mode, highlighted the importance of climate diplomacy and promoted the cause of South-South Cooperation. About 50 persons, comprising representatives of UN agencies, government bodies, R&D institutions, civil society, as well as academia, attended the webinar.
Technical talks, five in all, were given by representatives of international organizations focusing at climate change. Prof. Jinghua Cao, Executive Director ANSO noted that the developing countries have assumed a greater role in the global development landscape and added that China is committed to achieving Carbon neutrality by 2060.
Dr. Zitouni Ould-Dada, Deputy Director, Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, FAO, was of the view that South-South cooperation allows for tailored solutions that consider specific local contexts and challenges, fostering ownership and empowerment among participating countries.
Prof. Dr. Enrique Forero, Chair of the Regional Focal Point for Latin America and the Caribbean of the International Science Council (ISC), Colombia, opined that the Global South is home to vast forest ecosystems and rich biodiversity. Protecting and restoring these forests not only contributes to carbon sequestration but also helps preserve invaluable habitats and species.
Dr. Sohail Malik, Technical Team Lead, Climate Resourcing Coordination Centre (CRCC), Pakistan, shared that several developing countries possess valuable knowledge and practices in adaptation measures, such as water management, drought-resistant agriculture, and community-based disaster risk reduction, and that sharing these experiences and collaborating on adaptation strategies can benefit not only the Global South but also other regions facing similar challenges.
Dr. Aneel Salman, Chair Economic Security, Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), Pakistan, considered non-traditional partnership – engaging with leaders at sub-national level – cities level as most viable solution to immediately lower emissions and increase resilience against climate change.
The event concluded with a resolve to strengthen climate diplomacy and South-South cooperation ties among the developing countries. The speakers urged to develop workable nature-based solutions that are sensitive to the needs of the indigenous people and making concerted efforts to put them into action.
