Making climate financing work for communities

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing our world today and, in many countries, it is the most vulnerable communities that are bearing the brunt of its negative impacts.

Here, Raza Narejo, Deputy Country Director for Islamic Relief Pakistan, lays out some of the issues facing his country and the steps needed to bring about lasting and impactful change.

These days, hardly any meeting, dialogue, or seminar I attend goes by without a mention of the climate change index that lists Pakistan among the 10 most affected countries.

But when it comes to contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan stands at less than 0.1%. This simple comparison is a clarion call for global and national decision-makers to realise the immediacy of reversing these trends.

Our imagination gets captured by large-scale climate-induced calamities, such as the floods of 2010/11, 2014/15, and 2022, but a lot has happened between these years and months to impact the everyday lives of millions of people in Pakistan.

Rural and urban communities are grappling with the vagaries of weather patterns. The conventional wisdom of 4 clearly defined seasons, each with a start and end point, is being challenged by shifting dry and wet spells. April, usually one of the driest months of the year, in 2024 became the wettest one in more than 60 years.

These ominous signs on the horizon for Pakistan require consistent climate action in which underprivileged communities are at the heart of what we conceptualise and materialise in the domain of development. Developed countries must honour the commitments made under the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF). These climate financing mechanisms are simultaneously overregulated and underfunded by the ‘Global North,’ making it challenging for many countries to tap into the opportunities they offer.

On the other hand, our national and provincial governments in Pakistan have yet to chalk out a roadmap for the country to effectively materialise and advocate for climate financing facilities that should pave the way for resilient and green growth.

Calling for concentrated efforts and an holistic approach

In these circumstances, communities, civil society, and humanitarian actors have a critical role in steering climate action from global to local levels. Communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis must be engaged as active partners, rather than mere recipients, of resilient actions, which will not only help them survive but also enhance their ability to protect their ecosystems.

Federal and provincial governments must robustly articulate how climate change impacts ecology, human life, the economy, and, consequently, national stability. The fragility we witness in our socioeconomic fabric is predominantly driven by climate change-related factors, triggering unanticipated tensions in various segments of society.

A holistic approach to tackling the climate challenge will lead to actionable steps Pakistan can take on both the global and local stages. In the last 3 decades, communities exposed to climate-induced catastrophes have been stripped of the resources to bear the shocks. National and provincial governments must jointly develop a well-conceived framework for resilience, adaptation, and mitigation.

This national framework/charter for climate change needs to be operationalised and financed in collaboration with development partners to turn the tide.

Vulnerable communities living in remote areas must take responsibility for localised actions to save ecosystems, complementing efforts by national and provincial governments. Climate change adaptation needs to be embedded in sectoral performance measurement strategies and tracked periodically with proper dissemination mechanisms in place. These measures will strengthen the voices we raise at global forums to leverage these efforts through climate financing windows.

Another aspect missing in climate actions at the national level is the inclusion of the private/corporate sector in these efforts. These entities are significant contributors to emissions but also hold the key to growth. Greening growth requires transforming the level and direction of engagement with the private/corporate sector.

Concerted efforts to save the ecosystem, amplified by civil society, complemented by humanitarian actors, synergised with the private sector, and led by federal and provincial governments will position us to take decisive climate action and benefit from climate financing streams.

Islamic Relief is supporting communities to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change. This work goes hand in hand with advocating for climate justice in Pakistan and elsewhere, ensuring the voices of the communities we serve are heard by decision-makers. Please help us to continue this vital work. Donate now.