By Adnan Hameed TWA ______ U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome delivered remarks at the launch of "Recharge Pakistan," a groundbreaking initiative aimed at enhancing flood resilience and improving water security in Pakistan’s most climate-vulnerable regions. The event, held at the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS), marked a significant step forward in the U.S.-Pakistan partnership to address climate change.

During his address, Ambassador Blome emphasized the importance of strengthening Pakistan’s ability to manage its water resources, particularly as the country faces the growing threats of climate change. He highlighted the vital role of groundwater in sustaining communities, noting that “groundwater powers the land, enables crops to grow, and provides clean water so people can not only survive but thrive.” Through Recharge Pakistan, the initiative will restore natural systems that help capture, filter, and recharge groundwater, reducing the impacts of floods and providing critical water supplies to families, farmers, and livestock. The program’s network of green infrastructure projects will rehabilitate floodwater channels, restore wetlands, and reforest areas to prevent dangerous water runoff. He said,It will revitalize the soil’s ability to absorb excess water and store it underground. It will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 52,900 tons of carbon dioxide. And it will replenish the water supply by creating 127 new groundwater storage basins. All told, Recharge Pakistan will reduce flooding hazards for more than 50,000 hectares. It will provide Pakistani families, businesses, and farms access to clean, fresh water year-round. And it will improve the livelihoods of 687,000 people and indirectly benefit more than seven million people across the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh. The United States’ partnership with Pakistan on water management has a long history dating back to the 1960s. Our collaboration on the Mangla, Tarbela, Gomal Zam and Satpara dams provides more than 95 percent of Pakistan’s water storage capacity, generates clean energy, mitigates floods, and bolsters Pakistan’s economy, says press note. In recent years, through the U.S.-Pakistan “Green Alliance” framework, we’ve partnered with both industry and the Government of Pakistan on renewable energy, smart agriculture and water management. Our efforts have created new opportunities for Pakistani businesses to access climate financing from offshore, opening up new opportunities and creating jobs. We have supported startup businesses to bring new technologies and skills to Pakistan’s labor force. The United States has provided $5 billion to the Green Climate Fund. And together, we are bringing new investment in renewable energy to help Pakistan achieve its ambitious goal of reaching 60 percent renewable energy by 2030. “Recharge Pakistan” builds on that strong partnership, with an additional $5 million U.S. contribution that demonstrates our enduring commitment to building a brighter, more prosperous future for the Pakistani people. As the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change, according to the Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan is already feeling the effects of the climate crisis every day. 2022’s devastating floods displaced more than eight million people and caused more than $15 billion in economic damage. Rising temperatures have taken a toll on Pakistan’s majestic glaciers. And Pakistani farmers have seen crops wither under droughts. But by coming together, we can help communities adapt, mitigate, and even reverse some of the worst impacts of climate change. And we can do it in a way that lifts up local communities. At the end, He thanked the team at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination and the WWF, whose hard work over the past five years with affected communities to identify project sites, and build out plans, laid the groundwork to make the ideas behind Recharge Pakistan a reality.