ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday called for grant-based climate financing and increased adaptation funds for vulnerable countries, warning world leaders at the COP31 summit in Türkiye that international assistance must not deepen the debt burdens of economies already struggling with devastating climate disasters.

The appeal came as Pakistan, one of the countries most vulnerable to extreme weather despite contributing relatively little to global greenhouse gas emissions, sought greater international support for climate adaptation and resilience. The South Asian nation has faced extreme weather events in recent decades, including catastrophic flooding in 2022 that caused more than $30 billion in economic losses.

“When climate disasters strike, vulnerable countries need timely help and finance that does not deepen their debt,” Sharif told the COP31 Leaders Summit in Antalya.

“We call for grant-based finance including public-private partnership alongside significant enhancement of resilience and adaptation funds which amount to survival funds, especially for struggling economies.”

Sharif said national efforts to tackle climate change could not substitute for a fair and equitable international response, arguing that countries bearing the greatest consequences of global warming often had the fewest resources to protect their populations.

Pakistan’s 2022 floods submerged roughly a third of the country, affected 33 million people and killed more than 1,700, highlighting the scale of the climate risks facing the country.

The prime minister also recalled flash floods in northwestern Pakistan in August 2025, recounting the story of a young man whose wedding was just two days away when floodwaters swept through his village.

“A home preparing for celebration became a house of mourning. Days later, I stood with families who had lost their homes, livelihoods and loved ones. Their grief was personal, yet the warning signs continue to be global.”

Sharif recalled warning the United Nations four years earlier that the consequences of climate disasters in Pakistan would eventually be felt elsewhere.

“Four years ago, at the United Nations, I warned what happened in Pakistan will not stay in Pakistan. Mr. President, unfortunately, that warning has become a stark reality. The future we feared has become the present we are living. Climate change knows no borders. No nation can face it alone. Solidarity must mean real action.”

Highlighting Pakistan’s domestic response, Sharif said the country had added more than 20 gigawatts of distributed solar capacity over the past two years, while clean energy sources now accounted for nearly 55 percent of its energy mix.

He said Pakistan was also expanding electric mobility and had set a target to reduce emissions by about 50 percent by 2035.

The prime minister cited progress on the Chashma-5 nuclear power project, which is expected to add 1,200 megawatts of electricity generation capacity once commissioned.

Sharif also raised the issue of water security, warning that water resources should never be weaponized and that countries must honor water-sharing agreements to protect the lives and livelihoods of downstream populations.

The remarks carry particular significance for Pakistan, which relies heavily on the Indus river system for agriculture and water supplies and has been embroiled in a dispute with neighboring India over the Indus Waters Treaty.

MEETING WITH ERDOĞAN

Separately, Sharif met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the summit, with the two leaders discussing regional peace efforts and cooperation in trade, investment, defense, energy and connectivity, according to the Pakistani prime minister’s office.

The meeting came amid continuing diplomatic efforts to ease tensions in the Middle East following months of conflict involving Iran, the United States and regional countries, with Pakistan playing a mediation role.

Erdoğan appreciated Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts that led to the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding in June, while Sharif thanked the Turkish president for his support and coordination throughout the process, the statement said.

“Both leaders underscored the importance of adherence by all parties to their commitments under the Islamabad MoU to ensure durable and lasting peace in the wider region,” the prime minister’s office said.

Sharif also highlighted efforts by regional countries, particularly members of the Makkah Accord, to promote de-escalation and dialogue.

The two leaders agreed on the need to accelerate existing bilateral initiatives and explore new opportunities for economic cooperation, while reaffirming their support for each other on issues of core national interest.

Sharif earlier thanked Türkiye during his COP31 address for its assistance during Pakistan’s devastating floods in 2010 and 2022.

He also urged world leaders to translate their climate commitments into concrete action, saying the summit’s success should be measured by the families protected and resources delivered rather than promises made.