The Environment Minister of India, Kirtivardhan Singh, stressed the importance of climate diplomacy and knowledge sharing as crucial steps for countries in South Asia to address regional environmental challenges, particularly the smog crisis affecting major cities in India and Pakistan.
During an exclusive talk with The Citizenry and Times of Karachi representative at the COP16 biodiversity summit, India’s Environment Minister highlighted the country’s commitment to sharing expertise.
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Singh noted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, numerous international outreach initiatives have been launched, with India prepared to assist other countries facing climate-related difficulties.
Addressing the urgent need for solutions, Singh proposed a two-pronged approach to tackle smog: first, providing farmers with sustainable alternatives to crop burning, and second, implementing a strong legal framework within each country to enforce these solutions.
“We must first offer farmers options before binding these practices by law,” Singh said.
This approach, he suggested, would not only reduce smog but also encourage sustainable agriculture across borders.
While responding to a question, Singh said, “Not just India and Pakistan, all countries have to sit together and get involved to tackle climate change as it does not recognize borders.”
Singh stressed that climate change didn’t come out recently but took half a century, however, he suggested seeking long-term solutions into account before achieving any target or results.
