akistan, like the rest of the world, is no stranger to the growing threats posed by climate change. The nation’s climate adaptation efforts, outlined in the National Adaptation Plan of 2023, represent a critical step towards adjusting to the current and anticipated impacts of climate change aimed at reducing vulnerability. The plan is comprehensive, well-structured and ambitious, emphasising the need to strengthen resilience across various sectors, including the agriculture-water nexus, urban resilience and disaster risk management with approaches that address gender, youth and social inclusion.

It aims to integrate climate adaptation measures into national policies and development strategies, fostering collaboration among government bodies, the private sector and civil society. It is designed to mobilise resources effectively and align with global commitments under the Paris Agreement, positioning Pakistan to better manage climate risks while promoting sustainable development.

But easier said than done.

While the Ministry of Climate Change is often seen as the focal point for these efforts, much of what needs to be done to implement the NAP does not fall under its purview. The real challenge is mobilising other sectors, some falling under the federal government's jurisdiction and others governed by provinces—such as food security, water, commerce, agriculture, health, urban planning, local government, irrigation and transportation, etc—to take decisive action.

First things first, Pakistan, like many peers, faces the challenge of balancing mitigation and adaptation efforts. Climate mitigation, which typically involves reducing greenhouse gas emissions, is often more expensive but tends to attract greater visibility on the global stage. Projects like renewable energy investments often gain international attention and funding because they contribute to global climate targets. In contrast, climate adaptation, while less costly, is harder to capitalise on. Adaptation measures—such as improving agricultural resilience, enhancing flood defences and developing climate-resistant infrastructure—are inherently local and sector-specific. This makes them less appealing to international donors and they are often a lower priority for national policymakers. Yet, adaptation is arguably more urgent for a country like Pakistan, given its vulnerability to climate-induced disasters. The challenge lies in securing sufficient political commitment and financial resources to ensure that adaptation is treated as an equal pillar of climate policy rather than an afterthought to mitigation.

Achieving NAP’s goals requires coordination across multiple sectors, many of which require breaking the policy silos. For instance, addressing climate risks in agriculture is a provincial subject. It is a sector heavily dependent on glacier-fed irrigation systems, the sustainability of which requires intervention from ministries and departments other than the provincial departments of agriculture. Similarly, efforts to flood-proof Pakistan’s rural infrastructure fall in the realm of local government, rural development, finance and some other departments rather than the MOCC.

A disconnect between the MOCC’s mandate and the broader responsibilities of other sectors presents a significant challenge to the successful implementation of the NAP. The MOCC may set the vision but lacks institutional control over key areas that must adapt to climate realities. Governing policies to inculcate climate resilience often operate in silos, detached from the overall national adaptation strategy.

For Pakistan’s adaptation plan to be successful, much more is required than policy directives from a single ministry. The real challenge is establishing an institutional arrangement that ensures collaboration across ministries and sectors. This involves creating governance mechanisms that promote coordination between the MOCC and other relevant ministries to ensure that climate risks are fully integrated into their policy frameworks. Adaptation efforts will remain fragmented, underfunded and ineffective without this cross-sectoral collaboration.

Many of Pakistan’s provincial and local institutions, which are tasked with implementing adaptation strategies, lack the technical expertise needed to translate policy into action.

Financial resources are another critical element for successful climate adaptation. While the NAP recognises the need for financial support, much of the responsibility for securing and allocating funds rests with other sectors. For instance, the agriculture departments must have the resources to produce climate-smart crop varieties capable of tolerating weather extremes. Despite the importance of financial support, the current budgetary allocations to these sectors often fail to reflect the urgency of climate adaptation. Climate resilience is still treated as an isolated issue, rather than a core component of national development strategies.

Reliance on international funding for climate adaptation projects further complicates the situation. While external funding can help kickstart projects, it cannot be a sustainable long-term solution. Pakistan must secure domestic funding sources (including from private sector) to ensure that adaptation efforts are continuous and adequately resourced across all sectors.

Beyond institutional and financial challenges, human resources and technological capacity also play a pivotal role in successful adaptation. Many of Pakistan’s provincial and local institutions, which are tasked with implementing adaptation strategies, lack the technical expertise needed to translate policy into action. For instance, provincial agricultural departments may not have the capacity to implement climate-smart agricultural practices on a large scale, while urban planners may be ill-equipped to design cities resilient to climate-induced flooding or heatwaves.

Building technical expertise and human resource capacity across sectors is, therefore, essential. This includes training government officials and local stakeholders to manage climate risks in their specific fields and investing in technologies that enhance resilience. For example, effective early warning systems are required to strengthen climate-related disaster preparedness.

The private sector also has an important role to play in scaling up technological capacity. Investments in climate-resilient infrastructure, such as heat-reflective roofs or efficient irrigation systems, can provide a buffer against climate shocks. Clear policies incentivising private investment in climate adaptation are vital to encourage private sector involvement at the necessary scale for accelerating progress.

The implementation of the NAP also calls for more effective data collection and monitoring systems across sectors. Climate adaptation strategies must be informed by reliable and localised data, yet many sectors face critical data gaps. Without a robust system for collecting, analysing and sharing data on climate impacts, it becomes difficult to design targeted adaptation interventions or measure the effectiveness of existing strategies. Moreover, the absence of standardised monitoring frameworks means that lessons learned from one sector or region are not shared across the board, leading to duplicated efforts and missed opportunities for scaling up successful adaptation measures.

Finally, sustained political will is essential for the success of Pakistan’s adaptation plan. Climate adaptation requires long-term planning and resource commitment. Political instability and shifting priorities often undermine these efforts. A more cohesive and integrated approach to climate adaptation will require political leaders across all spectrums to recognise that climate resilience is not a single ministry’s, department’s, or province’s responsibility but a national priority that demands coordinated action across all levels of government and society.

While Pakistan’s NAP is a step in the right direction, and the MOCC is doing its best to implement it, its successful roll-out depends on much more than the efforts of the ministry. The real work lies in integrating climate adaptation into the mandates of various other sectors. For this to happen, adaptation needs to be prioritised through the whole of policy and whole of government approach. Only by addressing these challenges can Pakistan hope to build a climate-resilient future that protects its most vulnerable communities and ensures sustainable development in the face of a changing climate.

The writer heads the Sustainable Development Policy Institute and is a member of the COP29 presidency’s international advisory committee. His X handle is @abidsuleris