Listen to "Aisha Khan on Pakistan's losses and damages" on Spreaker.
Pakistan was inundated with flooding over the summer — to the extent that a third of the country was submerged, according to officials. The disaster was so severe that it was seen as a critical reason for the increased prominence of the once-taboo “loss and damage” agenda at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference. “What happens in Pakistan, won’t stay in Pakistan,” was the country’s tagline this year, inscribed on its pavilion.
At the summit, Devex sat down with Aisha Khan, who heads the Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change, and is based in Islamabad, Pakistan. In this podcast, Khan — also founder and CEO of the Mountain and Glacier Protection Organization — gave an insight into the unique geographical challenges that Pakistan faces, and what it means for the communities who live amid them.
She also discussed the development and humanitarian challenges caused by the flooding, both short and long term, saying “all these things are going to create destabilization within the country. And given Pakistan's situation in South Asia, it's going to have destabilization, perhaps on the region as well.”
Khan also discussed the importance of regional cooperation to deal with shared challenges, including water scarcity. “We need to decouple politics from climate conversations,” she said.
About the authors
William Worley@willrworley
Will Worley is the Climate Correspondent for Devex, covering the intersection of development and climate change. He previously worked as UK Correspondent, reporting on the FCDO and British aid policy during a time of seismic reforms. Will’s extensive reporting on the UK aid cuts saw him shortlisted for ‘Specialist Journalist of the Year’ in 2021 by the British Journalism Awards. He can be reached at william.worley@devex.com.
Naomi Mihara
Naomi Mihara is an Associate Editor for Devex, working on creative and audiovisual projects. She has a background in journalism and international development, having previously served as an assistant correspondent for Japanese newspaper The Yomiuri Shimbun and as a communications officer for the International Organization for Migration in Southeast Asia. She holds a master’s degree in Multimedia Journalism from Bournemouth University.