Pakistan Today

Federal Minister for Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman on Wednesday said the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination has issued heatwave guidelines to the provinces and relevant stakeholders.

Pakistan's Ministry of Climate Change has failed to start work on the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood project due to inter-departmental communication issues. The Green Climate Fund has threatened to cut funding if progress is not made, compromising the development of risk reduction measures for millions and the assimilation of key data.

Pakistan's disaster risk will increase thanks to uncontrolled population spikes, an upward trend towards urbanization, increasing climate changes, and poverty. Pakistan must only strengthen institutions, but should also implement a campaign to raise disaster awareness, train key institutions, share information among relevant actors, and adopt a centralized approach.

Given that natural disasters have affected over 30 million in Pakistan, the new National Disaster Risk Management Fund is a first step towards making Pakistan resilient against natural disasters and climate change. NDRMF will finance up to 70% of eligible projects' cost that shall enhance Pakistan’s resilience to extreme weather events and other natural hazards.

Zhe Urban Unit and the Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) Pakistan in collaboration with the Karachi Administration is devising a `Heat Stroke Management Plan’. In June 2015, the heat wave had killed more than 1,000 people in the metropolis.

“Stop Disasters” is a UNISDR disaster simulation game for children, who are asked to plan a safe environment - an often overlooked role for this population. The aim of introducing disaster risk reduction and climate friendly curriculum is not only to train children, but also to introduce behavior change in next generations to act responsibly and environmentally friendly.

'We focus on pro-poor gender sensitive adaptation while also promoting mitigation to the extent possible in a cost effective manner to ensure water, food and energy security of the country in the face of challenge posed by climate change,' said Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) Senior Group Head Zafar Pervez Sabri...

National Disaster Management Ministry Secretary Javaid Malik called on stakeholders to understand that forests in general are prerequisite to buffer natural disasters consequent to climatic changes and global warming...