Tackling climate change impacts on cryosphere, water, food security, and disaster risk reduction

About the event

We are collaborating with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCC&EC) and the Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change (CSCCC) to organise a policy action dialogue, convening stakeholders in Pakistan to discuss and formulate integrated strategies to address critical challenges posed by climate change in the country.

Snow and glacial meltwaters provide up to 50% water for agriculture in the Indus basin. Climate change impacts on the cryosphere disrupts water availability, reduces agricultural productivity and increases threats from disaster events. These cryosphere related threats have manifested into multifaceted crises reverberating its consequences across multiple social and ecological domains.

Pakistan has developed several key policies targeting climate action, sustainable water management, and disaster risk reduction. However, the effective implementation of these policies is often hampered by weak coordination across sectors and levels of government.

This policy action dialogue will bring together parliamentarians, policymakers, scientists, sectoral experts, practitioners, and civil society representatives. The focus will be on exploring ways and mechanisms to help enhance coordination and strengthen parliamentary role to ensure integrated and effective strategies for managing cryosphere risks, water security, agricultural sustainability, and disaster management in Pakistan.

Objectives

• Assess the implementation status of key policies linked to the cryosphere-related challenges such as the National Climate Change Policy, National Water Policy, National Food Security Policy, and National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy, and identify achievements, challenges, and gaps to enhance their effectiveness.
• Formulate actionable recommendations and mechanisms for improving policy implementation, ensuring that align local adaptation measures are aligned with national strategies for a coherent and comprehensive approaches to cryosphere-related challenges.
• Provide guidance to strengthen the role of parliamentary in the implementation of policies on climate change, water management, food security, and disaster risk reduction, ensuring accountability and effective monitoring.

Background

The glaciers and snow in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region feed 12 major river basins, providing water to almost 2 billion people. However, climate projections indicate significant glacial loss, reduced snow cover, and permafrost degradation, posing severe risks to water availability and agricultural productivity. The growing unpredictability of water resources, coupled with an increased likelihood of natural disasters, demands a coordinated response to prevent a humanitarian crisis. Pakistan has one of the largest cryosphere-covered areas within the HKH region, making its reliance on meltwater particularly critical.