By Ali Tauqeer Sheikh
THE preventable deaths of about a dozen tourists in River Swat have shown how Pakistan continues to grapple with the devastating impact of climate vulnerabilities.
Climate risks are interprovincial and multi-sectoral. There is a disconnect between well-intentioned policies and their effective implementation oversight by apex institutions, largely due to coordination and operational bottlenecks. Our climate governance architecture encompasses at least six apex councils, in addition to several commissions, authorities, boards and autonomous bodies. These institutions collectively form the backbone of our administrative state, designed to ensure coherent climate policy implementation and democratic oversight.
Infrequent institutional meetings: At the heart of our climate governance difficulties is insufficient coordination and the infrequent convening of vital policymaking bodies. Many institutions, despite constitutional or statutory mandates for regular meetings, struggle to maintain a consistent schedule.