NATIONAL NEWS
BRAZILIA: The Punjab government has established a dedicated “Pakistan Pavilion” at the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, to present the province’s environmental initiatives, according to state media.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is attending the global conference, which is running from Nov. 6 to 21 and brings together negotiators, experts, and civil society representatives to assess progress on climate commitments. Key discussions at COP30 include limiting global warming to 1.5°C, updated national climate action plans, and financing pledges carried forward from COP29.
Punjab, which has faced severe climate impacts in recent years — from deadly floods to persistent hazardous smog — is using the pavilion to highlight its response efforts. More than 130 lives were lost and 4.5 million people affected when torrential rains and upstream flooding inundated the province, while Lahore continues to rank among the world’s most polluted cities each winter.
Radio Pakistan reported that the pavilion, titled “From the Indus to the Amazon,” features multimedia displays showcasing the provincial government’s climate-related work over the past 18 months. Documentaries and visual presentations detail various initiatives aimed at environmental protection and resilience.
Before departing for Brazil, the provincial administration announced that Maryam Nawaz would present Punjab’s flagship environmental and urban-cleanliness programs to summit participants. She is also expected to highlight the “Suthra Punjab” initiative, described as the country’s most extensive province-wide sanitation and waste management effort.
Pakistan remains among the nations most vulnerable to climate change despite accounting for less than one percent of global emissions. Its recent history includes heatwaves, erratic monsoon patterns, droughts, and the devastating 2022 floods, which killed nearly 1,700 people and caused more than $30 billion in economic losses.
