India blocks UN funds for Pakistan's glacial flood project

Islamabad: Pakistan has become victim of yet another crisis after India has torpedoed at a United Nations body, Islamabad's proposal worth $35 million to protect communities in the northern areas of the country which are vulnerable to floods from overflowing glacial lakes.

The mega project was submitted by the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) in the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to assist developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change. The project was aimed at addressing the mounting risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in Pakistan’s northern areas where average temperatures continue to rise and cause glaciers to melt at a much faster rate.

It was among a list of projects lined up for GCF’s consideration at its fourth board meeting. In the Northern areas of Pakistan the average temperature continues to rise and causes glaciers to melt at faster rates,and this project was aimed at addressing the mounting risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) GCF board held its fourteenth meeting in Songdo, South Korea from October 12 to 14 where India, one of the board members of the body representing the Asia-Pacific region along with China and Saudi Arabia, opposed the project.

Mr Dinesh Sharma a special secretary in India’s finance ministry — called the Pakistani project ‘flawed’, stating that the project that was proposed contained several technical glitches. In the wake of the current Indo- Pak relations, the secretary was quick to say that nothing else should be inferred from their opposition.(UNI)