Tracking Pakistan’s climate: weekly highlights

The final week on February brought some ups and down for climate action in Pakistan, with March bringing Chakwal’s Eddy Covariance Flux Tower. Here’s a recap of what happened this week on Pakistan’s climate front.

CLIMATE-DATA MONITORING TOWER INSTALLED

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) inaugurated the Eddy Covariance Flux Tower at the Barani Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) in Punjab’s Chakwal, on March 1, 2025.

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The tower is financed by the United Kingdom for the state-funded “Water Resource Accountability in Pakistan” (WRAP) program. With this tower, Pakistan will get enhanced ability to measure crucial environmental parameters, such as temperature, rainfall, and agricultural data. With better data availability, the policymakers will be in a better position to strategies the climate action. Farmers, researchers, and local irrigation officers, all stand to benefit with more accurate information on changing climate realities.

WATER LEVEL DRASTICALLY LOW

The water level in Kohat’s famous Tanda Dam has started to decrease drastically. Lack of rain coupled with poor maintenance has left the dam nearly dry.

According to experts, the dam has not been cleaned for many years, while on the other hand, the rains have decreased, due to which the water level has started to decrease. The said dam is responsible for irrigating 26,150 acres of Kohat.

Tanda Dam is also a beautiful and recreational place in Kohat where people come for sightseeing and entertainment. There is a fear of a decrease in fish production due to water shortage.

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Even beyond Kohat, the hydel power generation is likely to decrease due to reduced rains and snowfall all across country. The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has sought details from the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) on water situation for the upcoming summer.

Officials say the dead water level will be one to two feet lower this coming summer. Low water level in the summer will also reduce the production of cheap power.

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA INITIATES URBAN TREE PLANTATION DRIVE

On the positive side of things, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has directed the Forestry and Environment Department to launch a tree plantation drive in urban and suburban areas, considering climatic, environmental, and aesthetic aspects.

The initiative will focus on planting trees suitable for local conditions, with a preference for low-maintenance and fruit-bearing species. Trees will be planted along roads, canals, parks, and intersections, ensuring alignment with the Urban Forest Policy. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has instructed the authorities to present a detailed report on tree maintenance and related activities to ensure the success of the initiative.

PAKISTAN-IMF INITIATE TAKS ON CLIMATE FINANCING

Negotiations have started between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for obtaining $1.5 billion in additional financing for climate initiatives.

The funding is being sought under IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). Finance Ministry, Planning Ministry and Petroleum Ministry officials are leading the talks along with members of Water Resources ministry and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). Disaster management authorities and provincial governments are also part of the efforts to obtain the said financing to battle climate impacts.

Pakistan has assured the IMF of implementation of green building codes for government structures.

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According to official statements, the briefing to the IMF team included federal-provincial coordination for disaster response, allocation of environmental protection funds in new projects, green budgeting, tagging, and tracking and monitoring. A report on climate action measures will also be prepared post-negotiations.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON CLIMATE CHANGE MEETING

During the meeting of Senate committee on climate change, Finance Minister Muhammad Arurangzeb said that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) had announced $500 million in climate financing for Pakistan and now the IMF is expected to provide additional financing.

During the committee meeting, finance minister said that “population and climate are our main issues. After COP29, some progress has been made on the Loss and Damage Fund.” The finance minister said that the government has also talked to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) today regarding carbon markets. He also informed the committee that the government is trying to issue Green Panda Bond.

Senator Sherry Rehman responded that Pakistan’s climate financing is even less than that of Bangladesh. She also spoke on electric vehicles, saying there are reservations regarding the tax on electric vehicles among the manufacturers of EVs.

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Finance Minister Aurangzeb replied that the government has handed over the tax issues on electric vehicles from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to the Ministry of Finance. “Our move will facilitate manufacturing and other matters for electric vehicle companies. We have handed over the tax issues on electric vehicles from the FBR to the Ministry of Finance,” he said.

Ministry of Climate Change Secretary told the Senate committee that a workshop is also scheduled with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on Monday. The ministry secretary also informed that the government is also in touch with the chief secretaries of all four provinces in this regard.