Sindh, Ethiopia to enhance cooperation on climate Action and Afforestation: CM Murad Ali Shah

Sindh, Ethiopia to enhance cooperation on climate Action and Afforestation: CM Murad Ali Shah

• Rising temperatures cause flooding, wildfires, glacial melt, sea-level rise
• Sindh develops forests on 675,000 hectares, increasing green cover

KARACHI (August 16): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah held a meeting with a high-powered Ethiopian delegation at the Chief Minister’s House to discuss climate change cooperation, mass plantation, and green development initiatives.
The delegation was led by Ethiopia’s Ambassador Dr. Jemal Beker Abdula. It included Honourary Consul General Mr. Ibrahim Khalid Tawab, representatives of the Green Dialogue and Mass Plantation Sector, members of the Pakistan-Ethiopia Business Council, Climate Change Specialist Ramala Ali Awil, Dr. Adefris Worku, Fadila Biya Abamicha (Vice President of the Youth Association), and the President of the Somali Region Youth and Green Legacy.
On behalf of the Sindh government, the meeting was attended by Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Principal Secretary Agha Wasif, Secretary Transport Asad Zaman, Secretary Environment and Climate Change Zubair Channa, Secretary Forests, Chief Conservator Riaz Wagan, and other senior officials.
Welcoming the guests, the Chief Minister said, “We are delighted to host this esteemed delegation and appreciate the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions, share knowledge, and explore areas of mutual interest. Your presence here today signifies the strong bonds of friendship and cooperation between our nations, and we are committed to further strengthening these ties.”
The Ethiopian side briefed the CM on the Green Legacy Initiative, under which Ethiopia has planted more than 40 billion trees since 2019, with a target of 50 billion trees by 2026, including 7.5 billion saplings by the end of 2025.
Highlighting Sindh’s challenges, Murad Ali Shah said climate change was an undeniable global reality. He recalled the devastating 2022 floods in Sindh, which destroyed 2.1 million homes, damaged irrigation systems, submerged millions of acres of farmland, and caused unprecedented economic losses. “Rising temperatures are causing urban flooding, wildfires, glacial melt, and sea-level rise. These disruptions are no longer distant threats; they are our daily reality,” he remarked.
The Chief Minister, outlining Sindh’s major initiatives to combat climate change, said that Sindh People’s Housing for Flood Affectees (SPHF), in which nearly 600,000 houses have been completed, while 857,000 plinth foundations are under construction in the largest post-disaster housing projects in the region.
Mr Shah, talking about carbon finance / Credits, said that Sindh has become the first and only province in Pakistan to qualify for the International Carbon Credits Trading Regime under Public-Private Partnership mode (DBC-1, DBC-2, and DBC-3). Millions of USD have already been earned in carbon credits while protecting ecosystems.
Discussing afforestation, the CM said that between 2010 and 2025, Sindh has developed forests on 675,000 hectares of land, significantly increasing its green cover.
Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in afforestation, the introduction of new tree species, sustainable agriculture, forestry, renewable energy, carbon trading, and capacity-building programs.
The meeting concluded with the Ethiopian delegation, alongside the CM, planting saplings at the CM House to formally launch a collaborative Green Initiative in Sindh.