The document outlines Pakistan's National Climate Change Policy of 2012. The policy provides a framework to address issues Pakistan faces from climate change. It aims to ensure climate change is mainstreamed into vulnerable sectors of the economy and guide Pakistan toward climate-resilient development. Key objectives include pursuing economic growth while integrating climate policy, focusing on adaptation, and ensuring water, food, and energy security. The policy also addresses climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies in various sectors like water resources, agriculture, health, forestry and others.

2. Climate change policy of Pakistan
Memoona Rafique

3. Climate Change
 The United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) defines, “It as a change of
climate that is attributed directly or
indirectly to human activity, altering
the composition of the global
atmosphere”.

4. What is Policy?
 POLICY is a plan or statement of
intentions- either written or stated –
about a course of action or inaction
intended to accomplish some end.

5. National Climate Change policy, 2012
A. Introducion
 The National Climate Change Policy provides a
framework for addressing the issues that Pakistan
faces or will face in future due to the changing
climate.
 In October 2008 Mr. Salman Faruqui, the then
Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission,
established a Task Force on Climate Change under
the chairmanship of Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, Advisor
Science and Technology. The report of that Task
Force has been used as a building block for the
preparation of this policy.

6. B. Goal
To ensure that climate change is mainstreamed
in the economically and socially vulnerable
sectors of the economy and to steer Pakistan
towards climate resilient development.

7. C. Objectives
 To pursue sustained economic growth
 To integrate climate change policy with other
inter-related national policies
 To focus on pro-poor gender sensitive
adaptation
 To ensure water security, food security and
energy security
 To minimize the risks arising from the
expected increase in frequency and intensity of
extreme weather events such as floods,
droughts and tropical storms

8. Cont…
 To strengthen inter-ministerial decision making
and coordination mechanisms on climate change
 To facilitate effective use of the opportunities
 To foster the development of appropriate
economic incentives
 To enhance the awareness, skill and institutional
capacity of relevant stakeholders
 To promote conservation of natural resources
and long term sustainability.

9. D. Climate change adaptation
 Pakistan makes a tiny contribution to total global
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (among the lowest in
the world) but it is among the countries most vulnerable
to climate change.
 it has very low technical and financial capacity to adapt
to its adverse impacts. While Pakistan is working on a
strategy that seeks to conserve energy, improve energy
efficiency and optimize fuel mix to support global
efforts for reduction in GHG emissions

10. a. Water Resources
 Water resources are inextricably linked with
climate
 Freshwater resources in Pakistan are based on snow
and glacier-melt and monsoon rains, both highly
sensitive to climate change.

11. Policy measures
 Water storage and infrastructure
 Water conservation strategies
 Integrated water resource management
 Legislative framework
 Enhancing capacity
 Awareness raising

12. b. Agriculture and livestock
 The agriculture sector, as the single largest sector of
Pakistan’s economy, is its lifeline.
 It accounts for 45% of the labor force, 21% of GDP and
70% of total export earnings.
 Agriculture in Pakistan is greatly affected by short-term
climate variability and could be significantly impacted
by long-term climate change.

13. Policy measures
 Research
 Technology
 General management
 Risk management

14. c. Human health
It is now widely recognized that the increased frequency
and intensity of extreme weather events such as heat and
cold waves, heavy or too little precipitation, strong
winds and cyclones due to climate change have serious
implications for human health. For example, floods and
storms not only increase the risk of death and injuries;

15. d. Forestry
 The most likely impacts of climate change will be
decreased productivity, changes in species
composition, reduced forest area, unfavorable
conditions for biodiversity, higher flood risks.

16. Policy measures
 Awareness raising
 Research
 Reforms in governance
 Enhancing adaptive capacity
 Forest management
 Arresting soil erosion
 Reducing forest fires

17. e. Biodiversity
 Biological diversity is a fundamental building block of
the services that ecosystems deliver to human societies.
 Climate change is likely to impact on the phenology and
species distribution along with community composition
and ecosystem dynamics..

18. Policy measures
 Research
 National Biodiversity Indicators
 Establish gene banks, seed banks, zoos and botanical
gardens
 Conservation and protection of biodiversity
 Involvement of local communities

19. E. Other vulnerable ecosystems
Mountain areas:
The most likely climate change risks to the mountain
areas of Pakistan are:
 Increase in frequency and intensity of precipitation,
resulting in more frequent flash floods and landslides
 Increase in intensity of wind storms and lightning,
resulting in top soil erosion and forest fires
 Increase in temperature, resulting in rapid glacier
melting

20. Cont…
Rangelands and pastures:
 The role of rangelands in environmental conservation is
vital and important
 their existence and health is critical for conserving
biodiversity in Pakistan.
 Degradation of rangelands results in gradual loss of flora
and fauna.

21. Cont…
Arid and hyper-arid areas:
 The fragile arid and semi-arid ecosystems are in urgent
need of integrated conservation approaches for
adaptation to climate change.
 Areas with active desertification and soil degradation in
Pakistan are facing severe environmental problems.

22. Cont…
Coastal and marine ecosystems:
 Coastal areas and marine ecosystem in Pakistan are
already exposed to a number of natural hazards due to
climate change.
 Tropical cyclones, severe storms, floods, shoreline
erosion and other hazards are causing loss of life and
damage to property and infrastructure.

23. Cont…
 Wetlands:
There has been a dramatic change in the ecosystem of
wetlands in Pakistan in the last ten years, affecting their
ability to function as a habitat for waterfowl, shorebirds,
and migratory birds.

24. E. Diasaster Preparedness
Climate change is likely to increase climate-related
natural disasters with the projected increase in the
frequency and intensity of extreme weather events,
including floods, droughts, cyclones, landslides
triggered by heavy rains and urban flooding due to
congestion of storm drainage.

25. F. Socioeconomic measures
Poverty:
 While climate change is a global phenomenon, its
negative impact is more severely felt by poor people and
underdeveloped countries.
 They are more vulnerable because of their high
dependence on natural resources, their limited technical
capacity and insufficient financial resources to cope with
climatic extremes.

26. Cont…
 Gender:
 In Pakistan, women are likely to be strongly
affected by climate change as the majority of rural
women are engaged in the agriculture sector, which
is highly climate sensitive
 Pakistan fully recognizes that women are powerful
agents of change. It is therefore vital to ensure
participation of women and female gender experts
in all policies, initiatives and decisions relating to
climate change.

27. G. Climate change mitigation
 The energy sector is the single largest source of
GHG emission in Pakistan; it accounts for nearly
51% of these emissions and is followed by the
agriculture sector (39%), industrial processes (6%),
land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF)
(3%) emissions and waste (1%).
 As such, the most important targets for mitigation
efforts focused on reduction of GHG emissions are
the energy and agriculture sectors.

28. Cont…
 Energy
 Energy efficieny and energy conservation
 Transport
 Town planning
 Industries
 Agriculture and livestock
 Carbon sequestration and forestry

29. Cont
 Institutional strengthening
 Awareness raising
 International and Regional cooperation
 Finance
 Technology transfer
 Policy implementation mechanism
 National Climate Change Policy Implementation
Committee
 Provincial Climate Change Policy Implementation
Committee

30. References
 www.gcisc.org.pk/National_Climate_C
hange_Policy_2012.pdf
 www.dawn.com/news
 unesco.org.pk/ns/documents/Worksho
p_Workbook/.../1_Dr.Qamer-uz-
Zaman.pdf
 climatepolicydatabase.org/index.php?t
itle=National_Climate_Change_Policy.
..2012