Pakistan has had its fair share of climate change in the recent past. The recent smog in Punjab was just a reminder for the analysts and the policymakers to buckle up. The country’s vulnerability to climate change is well acknowledged having faced floods, earthquakes, heat waves, and droughts that have adversely affected the life, property as well as economic growth.

The role of government and institutions is paramount to keeping the issue alive and ultimately transform the system into a resilient one. However, countries like Pakistan have suffered from lack of governance, and weak institutions, in turn failing to address the issues at hand. This column will look at the policies and actions taken by the government - and their effectiveness - over the years for climate change, summarised by the Asian Development Bank in its report called ‘Climate Change Profile of Pakistan’.

Surprisingly, institutionalization of climate change in Pakistan dates back to the 70’s where it took first environmental steps. In 30 years from 1971-2001, the country signed and approved 14 international environmental commitments that included Kyoto Protocol, and UN Framework Convention for Climate Change amongst others. However, these efforts didn’t yield much due to the country’s infamous coordination between departments and lack of political will and resources.

Later in 2010, the Ministry of Environment was devolved to the provinces under the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. Subsequently in 2011, a new Ministry of Disaster Management was set up, which was later renamed to become Ministry of Climate Change in 2012. This ministry saw demotion to a division with budget slashed, and then up-gradation again in subsequent years. Today, environment is under provincial governments, while climate change remains a federal subject.

Unfortunately, actions and implementations by the government institutions were not as swift as the changes in status had been. Lack of political will or eagerness and fickle policy focus inflicted the progress. Though climate change and environment has been institutionalized, the evolution of acceptance of the issue has taken too long. Like many other departments, the government’s approach has been patchy, resting mostly on ad hoc reaction. In short, there has been little long term strategizing.

At present, climate change is largely represented by the government’s disaster risk management arrangements. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) deals with environment and climate related issues whereas Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) are the provincial and district level bodies with interrelated objectives. Even though NDMA has had a strong political support, it too suffers from lack of funds, capacity and research.

As for the policies, National Climate Change Policy (2012) is the main policy framework for climate change in Pakistan, which was eventually launched in 2013. This is the first comprehensive policy that addressed the challenges the country faces now and in future due to climate change. The focus of the policy is on both adaptive and mitigation strategies to combat the adverse effects of climate change but prioritize adaptation measures.

The biggest challenge the policy faces is the implementation. Though the policy sets forth an action plan, ADB highlights in its report, “NCCP has made policy implementation contingent upon devising an “action plan” at the federal, provincial, and local government levels. With much confusion and limited understanding of the administrative and legal powers of the regulations, policies, and programs transferred to the provinces, there seems to be less interest in adopting a policy with less clear directives.” It further adds that the government is busy in prioritizing some other more immediate threats like terrorism and energy shortfall. Other challenges of NCCP, it points out, include the conflicting or overlapping objectives, responsibilities, and priorities between provinces and federal agencies.

The country does have a detailed policy on paper; it is the implementation and execution of the policy – something common in many departments – that remain a bottleneck. Vertical and horizontal coordination efforts between federal, provincial, and local governments with involvement of all stakeholders are described as the most crucial for the actual implementation of the policy. Moreover, there is a need to improve data on climate change in Pakistan. Lack and access to information is another challenge that the policy faces.

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Brief History of Institutionalization of Climate Change in Pakistan


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Year          Accomplishment                                                Purpose and/or Function


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1974          Environment and Urban Affairs Division established            Follow up to Stockholm Declaration June 1972


              at the Federal level


1983          Pakistan Environment Protection Ordinance enacted             First comprehensive environment-specific legislation


1989          Environment and Urban Affairs Division upgraded to


              Federal Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and


              Wildlife


              National Conservation Strategy prepared


1991-1993     National Environmental Quality Standards adopted in           It provided the broad framework for addressing


              1993                                                          environmental challenges


1995          Cabinet Committee on Climate Change established               Acted as policy coordination forum for climate change


1997          Pakistan Environmental Protection Act enacted                 First environmental act of the country


2002          Global Centre for Impact Studies on Climate Change            This research center on climate change functioned for


              established                                                   10 years as a development project


2004-2005     Prime Minister Committee on Climate Change                    Includes Prime Minister, Ministers of Water and Power,


              convenes National Environment Policy                          Food and Agriculture, Science and Technology,


                                                                            Environment, Planning Commission, Special Advisor


                                                                            to the Prime Minister


              National Energy Conservation Policy National


2006          Renewable Energy Policy Clean Development


              Mechanism National Operational Strategy


2010          8th Amendment to the 1973 Constitution                        Devolution of power to the provinces


2011          Ministry of Environment ceases to exist


              New Federal Ministry of Disaster Management established       Functions transferred to the Planning Commission


              Ministry of Disaster Management renamed to the                Elevate climate change issue to a cabinet level


              Ministry of Climate Change                                    portfolio


              National Climate Change Policy approved by Federal            A dedicated policy on climate change


              Cabinet


              Punjab and Balochistan Environmental Protection               Deals with environmental cases; 2013 decision


2012          Act prepared and enacted                                      prioritizes environmental cases in the High Courts


              Green Benches " established in all High Courts and


              Supreme Court of Pakistan by the Chief Justice of


              Pakistan


              National Disaster Management Plan approved


              National Sustainable Development Strategy


              Ministry of Climate Change downgraded to Division


              of Climate Change


2013          Global Climate Change Impact Studies granted                  National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy approved


              autonomous status


              National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy approved              Serves as the secretariat for the Prime Minister


                                                                            Committee through


2014          Framework for Implementation of Climate Change


              Policy adopted


2015          Division of Climate Change upgraded to the Ministry           Federal focal ministry on all climate change-related


              of Climate Change                                             issues


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