On Saturday, Pakistan and Switzerland signed a memorandum of cooperation aimed at reducing the likelihood of natural disasters and enhancing Pakistan’s ability to respond to them.
Ignazio Cassis, Swiss foreign minister, and Lt. Gen. Inam Haider Malik, the head of the National Disaster Management Authority, signed the Memorandum of Understanding during a ceremony in Nathiagali that was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
In order to lessen the negative effects on people and the national economy, the MoU envisioned bilateral collaboration in disaster risk management, including preparedness, response, and recovery.
The prime welcomed the delegation of the Swiss foreign minister and reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong regard for its ties with Switzerland.
The prime minister expressed his gratitude to the Swiss government for helping Pakistan recover from last year’s devastating floods. He also extended an invitation to Swiss businesses to invest in Pakistan, notably in the fields of IT and renewable energy.
Delighted to receive Swiss FM @IgnazioCassis. We had productive discussion on expanding cooperation in trade & investment, climate change, disaster management, risk reduction and early warning, higher education & building tourism infrastructure.
I appreciate Switzerland’s… pic.twitter.com/3cPbrMGHrv
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) July 8, 2023
The two parties also decided to work together to promote tourism, including ecotourism and the construction of infrastructure associated to it.
Swiss Foreign Ministry Statement
According to a statement from the Swiss Foreign Ministry in Bern, rising sea levels, more frequent and powerful monsoon rains, and accelerated glacier melting were all effects of climate change that Pakistan was currently experiencing.
The agreement sought to promote greater cooperation, notably by combining resources, expertise, and experience in catastrophe risk reduction.
According to the statement, the minister’s visit demonstrated Switzerland’s unity in the wake of the worst floods in a century in 2022.
The Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman gave a thorough presentation on Pakistan’s susceptibility to climate change and the beginning of accelerating climatic crises that are pushing the nation into a trap of recovery-resilience to the Swiss delegation as well.
An important MOU was signed today in Nathiagali between Pakistan ???????? and Switzerland ???????? on disaster risk management @ndmapk presided over by the PM @CMShehbaz. Thank you to @ignaziocassis Foreign Minster of Switzerland for taking so much interest in @ClimateChangePK and our… pic.twitter.com/5vp0SGZius
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) July 8, 2023
Despite the enormous expenses of adaptation, Pakistan was rebuilding as much as it could, according to Sherry Rehman. She discussed the Living Indus Initiative and the Delta blue carbon project, two of Pakistan’s most prominent programs.
The Swiss statement said, “Given the geopolitical situation in the region, Pakistan is facing a number of crises, including the influx of migrants.
The visit to Islamabad provided an opportunity to address these and other issues, such as climate challenges, investment in infrastructure, respect for religious minorities, the development of tourism services and scientific cooperation.“
To read our blog on “Germany offers €120M to Pakistan against climate change,” click here.