Mashad Saleem
On one of the hottest days ever recorded in Islamabad — a searing 45°C scorcher — the climate emergency in Pakistan took center stage. Amid blistering winds and suffocating heat, a senior federal minister candidly told journalists, “We are no longer just recalling the floods of 2022 — now, we in Islamabad face weekly windstorms and hailstorms. This never happened before. We are living climate change every day.” His words captured a national crisis that’s becoming disturbingly personal for millions.
Climate change, long dismissed by skeptics as a distant threat, has arrived at Pakistan’s doorstep — and it is knocking harder each year. No longer a myth or abstraction, the environmental crisis is an immediate reality that threatens lives, livelihoods, and the country’s long-term economic and social stability.
The recently released Pakistan Economic Survey 2024-25 lays out the stark dimensions of the crisis. Extreme heat, erratic rainfall, and a prolonged water shortage last year devastated crops, contributing significantly to the country’s economic slowdown. Temperatures have already touched 50°C in parts of Sindh and Balochistan this week, and the situation shows no signs of easing.
Despite the urgency, Pakistan’s climate adaptation budget remains worryingly inadequate. The government has allocated 6.9% of its current expenditure and 8.2% of its development budget to climate-related initiatives for the coming fiscal year — totaling just over Rs700 billion. A carbon levy has also been imposed to disincentivize fossil fuel use. While these are steps in the right direction, they fall dramatically short of what is needed.
Climate finance experts argue that Pakistan requires a staggering $40–50 billion annually till 2050 to achieve resilience against economic and ecological collapse. As former State Bank governor Dr. Shamshad Akhtar pointed out at the Breathe Pakistan conference earlier this year, such funding is essential to mitigate risk and transition to a greener economy. But without real collaboration between the state, private sector, and international donors, this amount remains a distant dream.
Indeed, the problem isn’t just about numbers — it’s about political will, public engagement, and media advocacy. At his post-budget press conference, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb recognized this, commending the Breathe Pakistan campaign by Dawn Media Group for effectively raising awareness. It was an important gesture — a reminder that without sustained public pressure and narrative framing, even sound policy ideas risk falling flat.
But while media advocacy and climate diplomacy play crucial roles, they must be matched with ground-level execution. Pakistan’s response needs to move beyond reactive disaster relief toward proactive planning: investing in early warning systems, green infrastructure, water management, urban resilience, and clean energy.
The future of the country, especially for its youth and working classes, now depends on how seriously the state treats this existential threat. Climate change is no longer just a science issue or an environmentalist’s concern — it is Pakistan’s foremost national security, economic, and humanitarian challenge.
The heatwaves, floods, and droughts are warning shots. If ignored, they may soon evolve into irreversible catastrophe. What Pakistan needs now is not just more money, but a climate-first mindset that treats adaptation and resilience as foundational to every sector — from agriculture and industry to education and finance.
For a country with one of the world’s lowest carbon footprints but among the highest climate vulnerabilities, Pakistan’s case is morally compelling. But global climate funds will only be unlocked if the country also demonstrates credible leadership, transparency, and readiness to implement reforms.
Pakistan is not running out of time — it already has. The question is whether it can rise to meet this moment, or allow the heat to consume more than just its crops and rivers — but its future too.
