PM calls for comprehensive strategy to tackle monsoon, climate risks

July 02, 2026 (MLN): PM Shehbaz Sharif has ordered all federal and provincial ministries to work in complete coordination on a comprehensive strategy for the upcoming monsoon season, warning that Pakistan remains among the countries worst hit by climate change.

The directive came as the premier chaired a high-level review meeting in Islamabad on monsoon preparedness and the broader response to climate-related threats, according to a press release issued.

He maintained that close cooperation between the centre and the provinces was essential to counter climate risks at the national level.

Under the instructions issued during the meeting, the minister for climate change and the NDMA chairman have been tasked with carrying out emergency visits this week to all provinces, along with Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, to verify that preparedness measures are fully in place.

An Emergency Response Committee is also being set up on the prime minister's orders, to be headed by the minister for planning and development.

The panel, comprising officials from the NDMA and other federal ministries, will coordinate closely with provincial authorities and meet weekly to review preparedness and track implementation of precautionary steps.

On the financial side, the finance minister has been asked to finalise arrangements in advance for an emergency fund to cover expenses arising from monsoon-related disasters.

The prime minister also called for foreign-funded projects to be structured in a way that strengthens the capacity of national and local institutions.

Water security also featured prominently in the meeting, with the prime minister pointing to an additional Rs330 billion set aside in the current fiscal year's budget to speed up water sector projects.

Drawing on experience from past monsoon seasons, the prime minister called for a comprehensive roadmap covering all preventive and response measures against floods and related hazards.

Provincial governments were told to clear encroachments and remove obstructions along river channels and flood-prone routes in vulnerable districts without delay, while all concerned institutions were directed to deploy their full technical and institutional capacity to protect the public during the monsoon.

Briefing the meeting, the NDMA chairman outlined the expected rainfall pattern, possible flood scenarios and broader climate trends, noting that unusually severe heatwaves were forecast worldwide this year.

Pakistan, he said, was also expected to face intense heat and above-normal rainfall this month, for which preparations were already underway under a dedicated strategy.

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