In Short : Climate change has gained prominence in the manifestos of political parties in Pakistan. This indicates a growing recognition of the environmental challenges and a commitment to addressing climate-related issues in the country’s political agenda. The inclusion of climate-focused policies underscores a collective effort toward sustainable and resilient development.
In Detail : A UN report has warned that Pakistan will experience increasingly severe extreme weather events
After Pakistan was hit by catastrophic floods in 2022, two major political parties in the country have prominently highlighted the importance of dealing with climate change-related issues in their manifestos ahead of the February 8 general elections. Ranked as the 5th most vulnerable country to climate change according to the Global Climate Risk Index, a UN report has warned that Pakistan will experience increasingly severe extreme weather events.
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N )and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as its head, released their manifestos on Saturday and promised a multitude of things to their voters.
While the PML-N mentioned the measures under the section ‘Building a Climate Resilient Pakistan’, the PPP had a separate chapter ‘Green New Deal: Climate Resilient Futures’ in its manifesto.
The third prominent party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf headed by incarcerated Imran Khan, has not released any manifesto as yet, however, given its track record of implementing ‘Billion Tree Tsunami’ as part of the party’s ‘Green Growth Initiative,’ it is known that climate change is part of their discourse.
“We must do everything to ensure that we increase our climate resilience and protect our people and our land from the dangers of climate change,” stated the PML-N manifesto. The PPP manifesto said, “Our priority will be to not just adapt and shock-proof our people from the risks of extreme weather, but to educate and mitigate against the dangers of such global threats.”