Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik said on Wednesday that the federal government, in collaboration with provincial authorities, will integrate all disaster early-warning systems at the district and tehsil levels under a 250-day short-term plan, enabling the timely evacuation of people and movement of assets ahead of floods.
\nThe unified system will allow local administrations to respond \u201cwithin a critical window of time\u201d and significantly reduce losses during next year\u2019s monsoon, said the minister while addressing a press conference here.
\nSharing details following a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Dr Malik said the Prime Minister reviewed all categories of climate-related threats \u2014 from riverine floods and hill torrents to urban flooding and coastal impacts \u2014 and approved a national resilience roadmap covering short, medium and long-term measures.
\nThe minister said Pakistan currently has multiple fragmented early-warning systems scattered across different agencies, resulting in delays and confusion.
\nThe Prime Minister has now directed that all datasets be consolidated and displayed on real-time screens in the offices of assistant commissioners and deputy commissioners.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first alarm will ring at the tehsil and district levels \u2014 not in Islamabad,\u201d he said, stressing that rescue officials and communities must get alerts early enough to evacuate before flood water arrives.
\nUnder the 250-day short-term phase, all damaged embankments, levees, drainage channels and floodgates will be restored.
\nUrban drainage systems clogged or overwhelmed during recent monsoons will also be repaired ahead of time.
\nHe said recent floods displaced millions, washed away entire settlements and deprived around two million children of school.
\nAs part of the plan, temporary schooling arrangements will be established in disaster-hit districts so education continues even if families are displaced for weeks.
\nA mobile emergency healthcare system capable of on-site primary treatment and urgent surgeries will also be deployed to reduce casualties caused by delayed medical assistance.
\nDr Malik said that although the climate ministry consulted provincial irrigation, agriculture and disaster departments while preparing the initial plan, the Prime Minister has directed a second round of consultations to ensure full provincial ownership.<\/p>\n
\u201cWork on the ground has to be done by provinces,\u201d he said. \u201cWe will now take the complete roadmap back to them, incorporate their needs, and adjust wherever new elements are required.\u201d
\nTo a question on widespread encroachments \u2014 including hotels and resorts built by \u201cpowerful groups\u201d along riverbanks \u2014 Dr Malik said the Prime Minister has ordered strict action.
\n\u201cHe has directed that illegal structures be demolished and those who approved them be questioned about which zoning rules they used,\u201d he said.
\nIn the long-term plan, the government aims to restore the natural flow of rivers, identify settlements built in hazard zones, prevent new construction in high-risk corridors, and design protective solutions for already existing communities.
\n\u201cWhen you block a river, you cannot predict where it will force its way through,\u201d he said. \u201cWe must restore natural flows so that water does not destroy unsuspecting villages downstream.\u201d
\nDr Malik said Pakistan is not just facing extreme heat; winter severity and climate variability are also increasing. Preparations for both seasons are now being incorporated into resilience planning.
\n\u201cOur politics must protect the future of our children, especially the poorest,\u201d he added, noting that those most affected by floods often lack any political voice.<\/p>\n
The minister said financing is not the primary constraint; governance and implementation lapses have historically caused delays.
\nIn response to another query, he noted that Pakistan\u2019s agreement with the IMF includes USD 200 million climate window, while the country\u2019s longer-term USD 20 billion climate and development programme \u2014 one-third of which is climate-related \u2014 provides further resources.
\nFunds from multilateral lenders, including previously under-utilised allocations, will also support the new monsoon preparedness plan. The climate ministry has already given the Prime Minister a preliminary budget outline, with a detailed financing plan to follow once provincial consultations are completed.
\nDr Malik criticised bureaucratic delays, pointing out that some PKR 20\u201330 million projects launched in 2017 have still not been completed despite multiple extensions.
\n\u201cAn entire new town can be built in eight years,\u201d he said. \u201cThe problem is not only financing \u2014 it is also our own lethargy and implementation gaps. That must end.\u201d
\nTo prevent further delays, the Prime Minister will personally chair quarterly progress reviews. A ministerial committee will meet monthly, while an implementation team will convene every week to track on-ground execution.
\nDr Malik said the government intends to bring its entire climate strategy before the public, encouraging citizens to ask tough questions and demand accountability.
\n\u201cOur children are not expendable, \u201cWe owe them a future where disasters do not repeatedly wipe away everything they have,\u201d he maintained.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik said on Wednesday that the federal government, in collaboration with provincial authorities, will integrate all disaster early-warning systems at the district and tehsil levels under a 250-day short-term plan, enabling the timely evacuation of people and movement of assets ahead of floods. The unified […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":515438,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-515410","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n