KABUL (SW): Speakers at the maiden conference on climate change in Afghanistan lamented that the country remains seriously affected by the climate change, but it fails to grab its due share of compensation from the top polluters.
Abbas Basir, presidential advisor on environment and natural resources, told the moot on Global Climate Change Week that the international treaties in this regard bound the ratifying countries to streamline their policies taking into consideration impacts on the climate. He stressed Afghanistan has ratified a number of such global treaties, hence it should seek economic and technical resources to counter the severe impacts of climate change caused by top polluters such as the U.S., China, India and other developed countries.
He lamented Afghanistan has so far failed to acquire the available funds and other resources. He cited the example of a small South Asian country Nepal that has secured up to $ 170 million from funds marked for compensation of climate change, but Afghanistan has only secured $ 11 million in six months.
Mustafa Zaher, director for National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA), told the conference that Afghanistan comes on 14th spot in terms of worst affected countries. Sarwar Danish, first vice president, on his term pronounced climate change more dangerous than terrorism. He also underlined that Afghanistan literally contributes nothing to the global greenhouse gasses’ emission, but it is facing the wrath of other polluters’ emissions. Danish urged the international community to help Afghanistan.
The vice president mentioned NEPA has ratified some 14 international memorandums and agreements on climate change, hence Afghanistan deserves the international community’s financial, technical and other support in terms of countering dangerous impacts of climate change.
ENDS
