Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday outlined Pakistan’s priorities and measures to address climate change-related threats effectively.
Addressing the Pakistan Symposium on Governance and Climate Change, he said major challenges facing Pakistan included air pollution, water scarcity and pollution, deforestation and land degradation, climate change vulnerability, biodiversity loss, waste management crisis, and food security.
“Despite these challenges, Pakistan has been a regional leader in advocating for climate adaptation and water conservation, and we have taken proactive steps to address these threats,” he stressed.
Summarizing prevailing conditions, he noted that major cities like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad frequently rank among the world’s most polluted urban centers. Lahore’s Air Quality Index (AQI), in particular, has exceeded 400 during peak smog seasons—far in excess of the World Health Organization’s safe limit of 50, largely due to vehicular emissions, industrial discharge, and low-quality fuels. “With 135,000 deaths annually linked to air pollution, this is a silent crisis that demands urgent policy action,” he said.
The minister said Pakistan’s water availability has dropped significantly from 5,600 cubic meters per capita in the 1950s to less than 1,000 cubic meters today, placing it at the brink of absolute water scarcity by 2025. “Around 80% of Pakistan’s water sources are unsafe for consumption, contributing to 100,000 child deaths annually from waterborne diseases. This has direct implications for food security, health, and economic stability,” he added.
According to Iqbal, the country’s forest cover—at only 5.4%–is far below the recommended 25%. The country, he said, is losing 27,000 hectares of forest annually due to illegal logging and urban expansion. “This accelerates soil erosion, biodiversity loss, and carbon emissions, undermining our ability to combat climate change,” he regretted.
The minister noted that Pakistan has faced heightened climate-induced emergencies, with floods, heatwaves, and droughts impacting more than 40 million people in recent years. “Pakistan ranks 8th on the Global Climate Risk Index by Germanwatch. Our melting glaciers, which supply 60% of our water, are disappearing at an alarming rate,” he said.
Referring to the devastating 2022 floods, he recalled they had submerged one-third of the country, displacing millions and causing $30 billion in damages. “Agriculture, contributing 19% to GDP and employing 38% of the workforce, faces severe threats from unpredictable weather, soil degradation, and reduced water availability,” he warned, regretting that Pakistan was one of the 10 most climate vulnerable countries despite contributing less than 1% to global greenhouse gas emissions.
Iqbal said Pakistan was actively engaged in global climate efforts, particularly through the Paris Agreement and subsequent COP meetings, including COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. As a responsible global partner, he said Pakistan has strengthened national climate adaptation plans, advocated for a fair Loss and Damage Fund to support vulnerable nations, and developed ecosystem-based adaptation strategies.
He further noted that the Planning Ministry was embedding climate resilience into Pakistan’s national development agenda through the 5Es Framework under ‘Uraan Pakistan.’ The third ‘E’ stood for “Environment and Climate Change; Water and Food Security,” he noted, focusing on enhancing climate resilience, self-reliant adaptation measures, and sustainable practices to combat natural disasters, including the impacts of droughts, cyclones, glacial lake outburst floods, smog, and other natural disasters.
“Our leadership is committed to ensuring that Pakistan is not just a victim of climate change, but a proactive architect of climate solutions,” he emphasized.
The Pakistan Symposium on Governance and Climate Change is part of Breathe Pakistan, a joint collaboration between Dawn Media, the Ministry of Climate Change, the Government of Punjab, and the United Nations.