Excellencies,
Distinguished participants,
Over the past year we have witnessed increasingly destructive flood disasters across the globe, with the impacts reverberating across society.
Last year, in Pakistan, record-breaking rains and floods affected 33 million people and the damage was estimated at US$14.9 billion.
The injustice is clear - Pakistan contributes less than one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and yet is suffering the immense consequences of extreme weather.
The need for the loss and damage fund, as agreed at COP27 in Sharm-el-Sheikh, has never been more evident.
On a global scale, nearly 95 per cent of infrastructure loss and damage reported between 2010 and 2019 were due to water-related disasters.
And disaster prevention is more cost effective than disaster response.
As such, integrated flood management and its holistic approach are crucial
The Sendai Framework, currently approaching its Mid-term Review in May 2023, provides an excellent tool for implementing integrated flood management in practice.
This midterm review also coincides with the midterm review of the Water Action Decade, – a great opportunity to bring important synergies to the fore.
As the Conference Secretariat to the UN 2023 Water Conference, to be held 22-24 March at the UN Headquarters in New York, UN DESA will ensure the inclusion of integrated flood management in the discussions.
A main outcome of the UN 2023 Water Conference is the Water Action Agenda, a platform where action-oriented voluntary commitments are being collected.
If we are serious about changing the game on water and flood management, I am counting on you, dear colleagues, to bring your most imaginative and forward-thinking commitments to the Conference in March.
I thank you.