The Knowledge Forum organised a meeting with the Sindh Assembly’s Provincial Parliamentary Taskforce on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Sindh Assembly Building, Karachi, on December 22, 2021. The Provincial Taskforce on SDGs was formed in 2016 to provide strategic guidance for the implementation and localisation of SDGs in the socio-economic development of Sindh. The Taskforce reviews and evaluates the progress of implementation of SDGs, includes advice for smooth implementation of SDGs, and lobbies for resources for achieving the SDGs. SDGs. The Taskforce meets every six months or on a need basis to follow up on its agenda. Chairman of the Taskforce Pir Mujeeb ul Haque presided over the meeting, which was also attended by MPAs Ms Kalsoom Chandio, Ms Farhat Seemi, Ms Heer Soho, Ms Ghazala Siyal, Ms Sumita Afzaal, Shahzad Qureshi, Saeed Afridi, Arsalan Taj, and other government officers. Director General Sindh Environmental Protection Agency Naeem Ahmed Mughal also attended the meeting. The meeting sought to discuss the SDGs framework in relation to climate change, Pakistan’s development paradigm, which prioritises fossil fuel consumption and climate concerns of the Sindh province. Three presentations were made before the SDGs Task Force. TKF made a presentation on “The Development Disconnect”, covering the fossil fuel-based development and energy paradigm of the country, and its stated impact on the communities. Eminent environmental expert Nasir Panhwar gave a presentation on “Key Climate Change Concerns of Sindh.” The presentation covered environmental challenges due to climate change in the province. All three presentations stressed the need for a stronger institutional action on climate change as Pakistan continues to experience increased change in weather patterns, environmental degradation and resultant impact on low-income communities. Convener SDGs Taskforce and MPAs stressed the importance of knowledge sharing on The complex subject of SDGs and the impact of environmental degradation on their own constituency. They expressed that, being elected representatives, they are under increased scrutiny to respond to the climate crisis, which affects communities on a day-to-day basis. They said that they can no longer hold on to the narrative to blame the developed countries for the crisis. The SDGs Taskforce sought regular meetings with relevant ministries, institutions and concerned experts so that the SDGs Taskforce and the Sindh Assembly members can play a more active role in realising SDGs. The Taskforce also asked TKF to work with institutions to provide input on the draft climate change policy of Sindh and explore strengthening the clean energy component in the draft. TKF also offered to coordinate meetings of experts on climate change with the SDGs Taskforce to advance knowledge sharing and collaboration. The interaction helped TKF develop inroads into policy-making corridors of Sindh Assembly while also developing a sense of the required areas of collaboration.
