Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said the government is devising a comprehensive strategy to build water reservoirs and improve water management across all four provinces, as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan to address climate-induced disasters.
Pakistan has experienced torrential rainfall this monsoon season, triggering floods nationwide, with estimates of at least 840 deaths reported since June 26. In the past week alone, at least 20 people have died due to flooding in Punjab.
In a statement, the prime minister said the government would focus on building water reservoirs through consultation and complete coordination with all provinces. “Climate change is a reality, and only through effective preparedness can the damages of natural disasters be minimized,” he said, emphasizing the need for national unity to safeguard people from the adverse impacts of climate change.
According to the statement, work is already underway to formulate an effective policy for timely response to the impacts of climate change and the monsoon. “The working paper of this policy will be shared with all provincial governments to devise a joint course of action,” it said, adding that once the present emergency subsides, the prime minister will convene a high-level meeting with the chief ministers of all four provinces, along with the heads of relevant institutions. It said the prime minister of AJK and the chief minister of GB would also be invited to participate.