ISLAMABAD(National Times)- Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination chairperson Senator Sherry Rehman on Thursday called recent reductions in climate-related budget allocations \u201cshocking,\u201d warning that Pakistan is entering a period of heightened environmental vulnerability marked by worsening climate extremes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Presiding over a committee meeting, Rehman said the country is facing intensifying heatwaves, accelerated glacier melt, erratic rainfall patterns, increasing water scarcity, and deteriorating urban environmental conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She stressed that monsoon preparedness must remain an immediate national priority, calling for stronger institutional coordination to address what she described as a growing \u201cclimate polycrisis\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Expressing concern over shrinking financial commitments, the committee noted that the Climate Mi\u00ad\u00adnistry\u2019s Public Sector Development Program\u00ad\u00adme allocation dropped to Rs2.478 billion, down from Rs3.5bn in the previous fiscal cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cClimate risks are increasing, not decreasing, yet allocations continue to shrink,\u201d Rehman said, also pointing to the ministry\u2019s limited capacity to fully utilise already allocated funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The senator questioned the rationale behind establishing parallel institutions such as the proposed Climate Authority. She asked what additional role the authority would serve beyond the existing ministry, warning against creating bureaucratic overlaps that add to the financial burden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Citing official figures, Reh\u00adm\u00ad\u00adan noted that losses of state-owned enterprises reached Rs832.848bn in fiscal year 2025, with cumulative losses exceeding Rs6.5tr, while another Rs451bn had been allocated to such entities in the current budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turning to the upcoming monsoon season, the committee received briefings from the National Disaster Management Authority and the Capital Development Authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n