ISLAMABAD, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday that his country ranked among the top 10 disaster vulnerable countries in the Global Climate Risk Index, witnessing multiple natural disasters over the years.
Earthquakes, floods, glacial lake outburst, cloud bursts, unprecedented rainfalls, severe heat waves, and forest fires have caused loss of precious lives, not to mention loss of millions of dollars, the prime minister said on the occasion of the National Resilience Day being observed to express solidarity with the people of Pakistan who suffered human and other losses due to disasters.
He said what Pakistan is going through today in the form of the worst disaster is not of its own making, but a result of climate change induced by global greenhouse gas emissions.
The death toll from this season's monsoon rain and flood since mid-June has risen to 1,700 along with 12,867 injured in Pakistan, the National Disaster Management Authority said on Thursday night.
"The people of Pakistan have faced disaster with courage and resilience. I want to assure my people as well as the international community that the government is doing and will continue to do its best to take care of flood affected people by ensuring their timely rehabilitation, reconstruction and revival of the economy," the prime minister said.
Cognizant of Pakistan's disaster vulnerability and climate change, Sharif said the government is committed to capacity enhancement of the disaster management system, undertaking necessary legislation, promotion of risk sensitive governance, and building resilient infrastructure. ■
