STAFF REPORT IBD: Participants of the Pakistan-India Track-II Dialogue on (Climate) Change for Peace have stressed that India and Pakistan need to work together to address common challenges posed by climate change in order to achieve food and energy security, sustainable livelihoods, conservation of biodiversity, enhanced water use efficiency, promotion of low carbon technologies and building resilient communities and networks.
Speakers recommended this during a recently concluded three-day dialogue organised by the SDPI here.
The dialogue stressed that the relevant decisions adopted by Saarc summits on climate change, especially those pertaining to food security and disaster risk reduction should be implemented through enhanced cooperation.
The participants acknowledged that climate change exacerbates vulnerability of South Asia, which is already one of the most disaster prone regions in the world.
While changing climate has posed new challenges, the governments and civil society of both the countries must work towards turning these challenges into opportunities for low carbon sustainable development and the promotion of peace in the region.
They said that achievement of these goals will be enhanced by the use of best available scientific and local knowledge. Both the governments, academic institutions and civil society organisations need to work together to prepare compendium of best policy frameworks and practices.