ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Nations have agreed to launch a joint project to curb illegal activities harming the environment and the economy, state media reported on Thursday, as Islamabad finds ways to mitigate future disasters brought about by climate change.
A deadly monsoon season since late June that saw torrential rains and the melting of glaciers killed over 1,000 people across Pakistan. Over 22,000 livestock were killed and 2.2 million acres of crops were washed away, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Experts have linked Pakistan’s frequent and irregular weather patterns to climate change effects.
Pakistan’s Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik met Troels Vester, the country representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Islamabad to discuss matters related to the environment and the economy, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
“Both sides agreed to develop a joint project aimed at improving inter-agency coordination and modernizing laws and enforcement mechanisms to curb illegal activities impacting the environment and economy,” the state media said.
Vester acknowledged Pakistan’s commitment to addressing environmental crimes and reaffirmed UNODC’s full support in this area, Radio Pakistan said.
