Breathe Pakistan: IFAD official says Pakistan on the frontline of climate change

The second day of the second edition of the Breathe Pakistan International Climate Change Conference, organised by Dawn Media, is currently underway in Islamabad. Despite contributing minimally to global emissions, Pakistan remains among the most climate-vulnerable nations, underscoring the critical need for coordinated, locally grounded, and globally informed responses. The two-day conference is bringing together policymakers, experts, and stakeholders from across sectors to examine intersecting challenges and chart a path forward. On the first day, federal ministers, government officials, business leaders, and agriculture and water experts were among the various speakers who presented their perspectives on tackling the climate crisis. View the full agenda here. 10:20am — Goal is to advance resilience in development: climate expert Renato Redentor Constantino, international policy adviser at Climate Vulnerable Forum, noted that many people think of climate change as an environmental issue but “we are in the middle of a development crisis”. He stressed, “Our goal is not to reduce emissions, per se. Our goal is to advance resilience in development.” 10:08am - Expert highlights concept of ethical leverage Dr Erum Sattar, a water law and policy expert, said, “Pakistan sits where the transboundary water-sharing is very, very complex. There is India in the East and the Kabul River.” She said that Pakistan sat at the intersection of complexities that affected many nations. She also referred to the concept of ethical leverage. “Pakistan can experiment at all of these scales,” she said. 10:06am - UN official says Pakistan’s experience not unique Mohamed Yahya, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, said,” Pakistan’s reality is unmistakable; from floods to prolonged droughts to glacial melts. This experience is not unique to Pakistan. It reflects a reality across South Asia.” He said that the panel’s discussion would be how South Asia can help itself, sayin