ISLAMABAD: With devastating monsoon floods now an annual reality, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed federal and provincial authorities to immediately begin preparations for the 2026 monsoon season, approving the Ministry of Climate Change’s short-term resilience plan for instant rollout.
Chairing a high-level review meeting as winter grips the country, the premier warned that Pakistan cannot endure another cycle of avoidable catastrophe. He ordered seamless integration of planning, data-sharing, and response systems across all institutions and stressed coordinated efforts between the Ministry of Climate Change, Ministry of Planning, NDMA, and provincial governments.
PM Shehbaz also instructed preparations for an early meeting of the National Water Council to formulate comprehensive national water management strategies.
Highlighting the economic toll, he lamented that Pakistan, despite contributing less than 1% to global emissions, is forced to divert significant GDP portions toward climate damage control instead of development. “We face severe consequences of climate change we did not create,” he said.
Ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Ahad Khan Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Musadik Malik, Attaullah Tarar, and senior officials were briefed on global weather forecasts and short-, medium-, and long-term preparedness measures. The prime minister demanded visible progress before the next monsoon to protect lives and infrastructure nationwide.