Pakistan Tackles Climate Crisis: From Relief to Resilience

Pakistan is confronting an escalating climate emergency, moving beyond seasonal concerns to embrace proactive resilience strategies. The nation, highly vulnerable despite minimal global emissions contribution, faces intensified monsoons, longer heatwaves, and rising sea levels, reshaping its geography and economy. This necessitates a departure from the traditional disaster relief model, which has become unviable with frequent extreme events.

The National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) is a pivotal institution driving this transition. By channeling financing and facilitating action, NDRMF supports projects strengthening flood defenses, improving water management, and retrofitting public buildings. Its Project Preparation Facility ensures a pipeline of investment-ready climate projects, while Disaster Risk Financing addresses the crucial fiscal dimension of resilience.

Transformative developments include Pakistan's first national natural catastrophe model, developed with SUPARCO, providing crucial data for evidence-based decision-making. NDRMF also fosters community preparedness, shifting focus from post-disaster relief to readiness. With a ten-year strategic plan, NDRMF aims to embed climate resilience into Pakistan's core development pathway, recognizing it as the only viable future.