ISLAMABAD: US Ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome, emphasized the United States’ commitment to strengthening its climate partnership with Pakistan during the launch of the Recharge Pakistan initiative on September 10, 2024, in Islamabad. The project, aimed at enhancing water security and climate resilience, will benefit over seven million people across three provinces.
Recharge Pakistan focuses on nature-based solutions, including wetland restoration, floodplain management, and groundwater recharge, particularly in the Indus Basin. The initiative seeks to reduce the impacts of floods and droughts while improving water security.
“This ambitious initiative will strengthen flood resilience and enhance water security for Pakistan’s most vulnerable communities,” said Ambassador Blome. He added that the project will create 127 new groundwater storage basins, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and replenishing water supplies.
Blome also highlighted Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change, ranking as the fifth most at-risk country globally, with rising temperatures affecting glaciers and severe droughts impacting agriculture. He reaffirmed the long-standing US-Pakistan partnership on water management, which dates back to the 1960s.
The US, having contributed $5 billion to the Green Climate Fund, is also investing in renewable energy to help Pakistan achieve 60% renewable energy by 2030.
The Recharge Pakistan project will mitigate flooding on over 50,000 hectares and improve the livelihoods of 687,000 people while indirectly benefiting more than seven million across Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh.
“The United States will continue to deepen our partnership with Pakistan, building a greener and more climate-resilient future,” Blome concluded.
