US Ambassador Donald Blome on Wednesday visited Quetta to meet with Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, local partners working to advance climate change adaptation, representatives of higher education institutions, leaders of local NGOs, and Afghan refugees.
During his visit, Ambassador Blome discussed US efforts to combat the effects of climate change through a Green Alliance with diverse partners in Pakistan and underscored the strong cooperation between the United States and Pakistan on promoting economic development through higher education and women’s empowerment.
Ambassador Blome participated in a community tree planting drive that will become part of a larger project to develop an urban forest in the city of Quetta. The project, led by youth activists, aims to advance climate change adaptation, raise climate risk awareness, and increase community resilience to climate change by providing a platform to bring diverse groups together for collective societal benefit.
At the event, the ambassador highlighted that the U.S. government has provided more than 97 million dollars in flood-related assistance to Pakistan this year, including to individuals and communities in need in Balochistan. “But we know that the effects of the flooding are far from over, and every nation faces the threat of climate change. So, we’re working with diverse partners to increase Pakistan’s resilience to climate change through a Green Alliance,” he said.
During the trip, Ambassador Blome also met with leadership from the Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences and the Sardar Bahadur Khan Women’s University to discuss how U.S. government support has helped them respond to local economic development needs in their academic programs.
