THE US retreat from global climate finance commitments could not have come at a worse time. Pakistan faces an imminent water crisis threatening our wheat harvest. Irsa’s warning that Punjab and Sindh — our primary breadbaskets — may face up to 35pc water shortages as the Tarbela and Mangla dams approach dead levels illustrates the immediate challenges we face. These reservoirs, critical to our agricultural infrastructure, are depleting rapidly just when the wheat crop requires its final watering before harvest. With lower-than-targeted wheat sowing already a concern due to shifting policies, Pakistan now confronts a perfect storm of food security threats exacerbated by climate instability. Against this backdrop, the international climate finance landscape is crumbling. The pledge made at COP29 to boost climate finance to $300bn annually by 2035 was already deemed inadequate. Now, with the US — responsible for about 10pc of the $116bn provided in 2022, according to OECD figures — stepping back, our options for adaptation funding narrow considerably. Our recent history tells a grim story: devastating floods that submerged a third of our country in 2022, unprecedented heatwaves, glacial melt threatening our water security, and now agricultural disruptions jeopardising our food security. The burden is shifting primarily to the EU, but the bloc faces its own challenges: budget constraints, US tariffs, increased military spending, and the rise of right-wing populism hostile to climate policies. With major donors like the UK, France, and Germany announcing aid cuts, Pakistan must reckon with a harsh new reality.

So, what options do we have? First, we must implement immediate water conservation measures across all sectors, particularly agriculture, which consumes over 90pc of our water resources. Drip irrigation, laser land levelling, and water-efficient crop varieties must be prioritised and subsidised. Second, we must strengthen regional climate alliances. Cooperation with other South Asian nations could amplify our collective voice at global fora, leading to shared technological solutions for climate adaptation. Third, Pakistan must accelerate domestic resource mobilisation specifically for climate-resilient infrastructure. This includes exploring green bonds, carbon taxation on heavy emitters, and climate adaptation financing mechanisms that do not rely exclusively on foreign assistance. The path ahead is undeniably challenging. Yet, our survival and the food security of our population depends on confronting this new reality.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2025