Building climate-resilient Pakistan: Insights from Humanitarian Future 2025
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Pakistan Humanitarian Forum (PHF) co-hosted the national conference titled “Pakistan’s Humanitarian Future 2025” supported by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). A pivotal gathering aimed at addressing the country’s preparedness and response to the escalating impacts of climate change and associated humanitarian crises and developing way forward for future Climate induced Disasters.
Coordinator to PM on Climate Change, Romina Khurshid Alam was the Chief Guest on the occasion. While speaking at the event, Romina Khurshid emphasized the urgent need for robust climate risk management strategies at national, provincial, and district levels to enhance preparedness for natural disasters and reduce their economic, social, and environmental impacts. There is an urgent need to protect vulnerable communities and maintain the sustainability of lives and livelihoods amid climate-related challenges.
She outlined the escalating severity of climate impacts that Pakistan is experiencing, citing vulnerabilities to extreme weather events such as devastating floods, heat waves, droughts, desertification, and erratic rainfall patterns.
“These challenges have led to significant economic, social, and environmental repercussions, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations,” Romina stated adding that despite Pakistan’s ongoing struggles with these severe conditions, the government is making every effort within its capacity to mitigate the impacts of climate change”.
The event was attended by government officials, representatives of local and international humanitarian agencies, academics, climate scientists, and meteorological organizations.
Pakistan contributes less than one percent to global greenhouse gases emissions yet ranks among the top 10 most climate-vulnerable countries worldwide. Increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters, including floods, droughts, heat waves, and cyclones, have underscored the urgent need for proactive disaster preparedness and response.
Reflecting on lessons learned from past crises such as the 2005 earthquake, the 2010 floods, and the 2022 floods, the event brought together diverse stakeholders, including government representatives, local and international humanitarian agencies, academia, climate scientists, and corporate leaders, to deliberate on strengthening Pakistan’s resilience and response mechanisms.
In his opening remarks Shahid Kazmi (Country Coordinator-PHF) highlighted the role of International Non-governmental Organizations (INGOs) in national development and humanitarian response in Pakistan over last two decades. He noted that recurring emergencies have left an enduring impact across various regions of the country, necessitating extensive rehabilitation and reconstruction.
The event featured a dynamic panel discussion with esteemed speakers, including Idrees Mahsud (Member DRR, NDMA Pakistan), Mubushar Hussain (Manager DRR, NDRMF), Dr. Shah Miran (CEO, MERF), Fatima Arshad (Head of Sustainability, Unilever), and Mohammed Riyas (Emergency Director, IRC). Key topics of discussion were centric to the evolving role of disaster management, the critical need for climate finance, the potential of national NGOs as drivers of change, and best practices and lessons learned from past humanitarian efforts.
