• Sherry Rehman says world recognises Pakistan as hotspot of climate disasters
• Document details responsibilities of various govts, from Centre to local bodies

ISLAMABAD: With the country seemingly at the mercy of the elements, the federal cabinet on Wedne­sday approved the Minis­t­­ry of Climate Change’s Na­tional Adaptation Plan (NAP), in a bid to put Pakistan on the road to climate resilience.

Aimed at facilitating col­laboration among diffe­r­­ent stakeholders, the NAP would serve as an effective tool for climate finance mobilisation, accor­ding to the ministry.

According to the plan, a conservative estimate of the investment needs for a comprehensive response to Pakistan’s climate and development challenges between 2023 and 2030 amounts to approximately $348 billion, or 10.7 per cent of the cumulative GDP for the same period.

As per a retrospective review of funding levels in recent years, NAP sugge­sts that approximately $39 billion of public finances and $9 billion from public-private partnerships for infrastructure will be available for this purpose over the next decade.

Speaking at a press conference, Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman said that Pakistan was now on the world’s radar as a flashing hotspot for climate disasters. The 2022 mega-flood impacted 33 million people in Pakistan and broke all records of monsoon floo­­ding anywhere in the world, she said, highlighting an urgent need for the NAP.

“Given the existential nature of climate change as a non-traditional security threat to Pakistan, it is imperative for all of us to prepare diligently and act proactively,” the minister said.

According to Ms Rehman, NAP is a framework that will identify who needs to implement what part of the overall plan, outlining what federal ministries need to do, what part the provinces will play and what duties fall to local bodies.

According to the ministry, NAP is governed by 10 essential guidelines — include integrating clima­­te adaptation, strategic thinking, evidence-based decision-making, promoting nature-based soluti­o­­ns, acting locally, leaving no one behind, thinking ahe­ad and staying flexible, ad­­dressing inequity, fostering coordination and collaboration, and building capacity and knowledge.

These guidelines govern priorities, which include the agriculture-water nexus, natural and human capital, urban resilience, disaster risk management, and gender, youth and social inclusion.

Explaining these key areas, the NAP states that the agriculture sector acc­ounts for 20pc of the count­ry’s GDP and employs so­­me 40pc of the labour force, being a major source of subsistence and livelihood for the rural population. Adaptation strategies in this area will focus on in­­centivising climate-smart practices for farmers, modernising irrigation services, devising long-term agriculture growth strategies, and managing river flow variability under climate scenarios.

The second priority is natural capital, which contributes an estimated 13-15pc to Pakistan’s per capita wealth, but rising temperatures and prolonged droughts contributed to deforestation, forest degradation and an increase in wildfires.

The third priority is ur­­b­an resilience, which is only expected to further in­­cre­a­se due to climate-in­duced migration. Urban areas were becoming increasin­g­ly vulnerable to climate change risks and with flo­od hazards projected to increase, primary cities (notably Lahore and Kara­chi) have the highest exposure to urban flooding. Adapta­tion strategies here will focus on improving land regulation, bolstering climate-smart municipal services, leveraging nature-based solutions for climate risks, and developing financing instruments.

Human capital has been dub­bed the fourth priority, since the country’s current population indicators are a cause of concern, while enhancing disaster risk management (DRM) is the fifth. According to the minister, lessons learnt from the 2022 floods make modernising DRM crucial for Pakistan’s adaptation.

The key adaptation strategies will focus on understanding climate and disaster risk through advanced early warning sys­­tems and data-driven analysis, strengthening disaster risk governance with clear policies and coordination mechanisms, investing in risk reduction for community and infrastructure resilience, and enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and “build back better” with risk-informed approa­ches in recovery and reconstruction.

“The focus on the priorities will not only yield significant advancements in their respective domains but also bring about cross-cutting benefits in critical areas such as gender, youth, and social inclusion,” Ms Rehman said.

The plan also outli­nes potential challenges to their accomplishment. For example, regulatory bar­­riers, limited institutional capacity, a lack of awareness, financial resources and adequate data for de­­c­ision-making are all taken into account. The docum­e­­nt also outlines the responsibilities of various go­­vernments, as well as highlighting the role of the Pakistan Climate Change Council, which will be the apex advisory body that will provide strategic advice on the implementation framework.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2023