Islamabad: In a keynote address at the National Conference titled “Pakistan’s Final Warning: Climate Calamity or Collective Action,” Senator Sherry Rehman, Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change, issued an urgent appeal for collective climate action. With Pakistan now ranked first on the Germanwatch Climate Risk Index for 2025, Senator Rehman outlined five strategic actions the country must adopt to tackle what she described as a “cascading polycrisis.”
Senator Rehman emphasized the importance of linking extreme weather events to their underlying causes. She highlighted a troubling lack of urgency in policy corridors despite unprecedented climate shocks, such as the 2022 super floods that affected over 33 million people and heatwaves exceeding 50°C.
“There is no alarm in power corridors, and no budgets are being adjusted to better manage crises,” she observed. She challenged the current narrative, noting that these events are not isolated but interlinked system failures.
The Senator stressed the need for comprehensive risk reduction measures, such as early warning systems, which the United Nations now recognizes as a basic human right. She noted that Pakistan is underprepared for the scale of climate investment needed, urging for mobilized commitment rather than token statements.
Senator Rehman called for a whole-of-society approach, involving all tiers of government, businesses, schools, communities, and the media to break silos and act as response multipliers. Public-private partnerships, she emphasized, are critical and must be empowered.
She also pointed to the critical role of strategic climate communications at national, provincial, and local levels, urging the private sector to collaborate with governments in an integrated institutional roadmap. Senator Rehman warned against a “Business-as-Usual” path, emphasizing that communications should focus on outcome integrity.
Rehman underscored water conservation as the top priority for Pakistan’s climate action agenda. She cited UN data identifying Pakistan as one of the most water-stressed countries and pointed to the visibly degrading landscape. She advocated for low-cost rain harvesting and conservation methods, noting that big dams are no longer viable.
Senator Rehman concluded by emphasizing the critical nature of water as a lifeline and the need to protect resources like the Indus River from encroachment and pollution. She called for collective commitment and capacity to act, stating that there is no middle ground between catastrophe and action.