ISLAMABAD:
Senator Sherry Rehman, chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, on Thursday called continued reductions in climate allocations “shocking”, warning that Pakistan was entering a period of heightened climate vulnerability marked by intensifying heat waves, accelerated melting of glaciers, erratic rainfall, worsening water insecurity and growing environmental stress in urban centers.
Chairing a meeting of the committee, Rehman expressed concern over the decrease in Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) allocation for the Ministry of Climate to Rs 2.478 billion for 2026-27 after a decline from Rs 3.5 billion to Rs 2.7 billion in the previous fiscal year.
“Climate risks are increasing, not decreasing. Yet allocations continue to decline while implementation challenges persist,” she said, while noting that the ministry had struggled to fully utilize previously allocated funds. The senator questioned the rationale for creating the Climate Change Authority, arguing that climate governance required stronger coordination rather than additional bureaucratic structures.
“What is the function of this authority and what does it do that the Ministry of Climate cannot achieve?” she asked, describing it as another public entity (SOE) without clearly defined goals.
Referring to government figures, she noted that losses suffered by state-owned enterprises reached 832.8 billion rupees in fiscal 2025, while cumulative losses climbed to 6.56 trillion rupees. She added that Rs451 billion had again been allocated to state-owned enterprises in the current budget.
The committee also reviewed Pakistan’s preparedness for the upcoming monsoon season, with detailed briefings from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
NDMA Chairman Inam Haider Malik informed lawmakers that the 2026-2027 period is expected to be influenced by El Niño conditions, increasing the likelihood of extreme weather events and greater climate variability in the region.
