Pakistan was ranked the most vulnerable country to climate change in 2022, followed by Belize and Italy, according to data in the Climate Risk Index (CRI) for 2025 report released by European think tank Germanwatch last month.
Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad marking the first ‘World Day of Glaciers,’ Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said: “This disturbed water cycle [due to rising global temperatures] is already impacting crop yields, food production, and the livelihood of millions.” This highlights the severe consequences of climate change on Pakistan's food production and the livelihood of millions.
“We need to come up with well-structured projects to access climate financing,” he remarked, assuring that the Ministry of Finance would extend full support in tackling the crisis.
Pakistan has faced unprecedented floods caused by record-breaking monsoon rainfall and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). With over 3,000 glacial lakes, 33 of which are highly volatile, the danger to millions is alarming.
The government is launching the country's first Glacier Conservation Strategy to protect these vital ecosystems. Continuous glacier retreat leads to extreme events and evolving disaster risks for downstream populations. Glaciers are crucial for regulating the global climate and providing fresh water for billions of people.
