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ISLAMABAD, Jan 22 (APP):Minister of State for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr. Shezra Mansab Ali Khan Kharal told the National Assembly on Thursday that despite repeated international commitments, Pakistan had received only a small fraction of the funds promised under the global Loss and Damage mechanism, even though it remained among the countries most severely affected by climate-induced disasters.
Responding to a question raised by Nafisa Shah during Question Hour, the minister said Pakistan continued to raise the issue of fair and timely climate financing at international forums, particularly under the Loss and Damage Fund, but progress had remained slow.
She said that during recent climate conference processes, including COP meetings, major pledges had been announced but largely remained unfulfilled.
She informed the House that under recent COP-related developments, a total of $250 million had so far been mobilised for the Loss and Damage Fund, of which $125m was earmarked for least developed and developing countries, including Pakistan.
The minister said Pakistan had suffered massive economic and human losses due to climate change, yet the funds received so far were far from adequate. “No country has faced losses on the scale Pakistan has, yet the support we have received does not match the damage,” she added.
Kharal said Pakistan had established a dedicated task force on Loss and Damage, working in collaboration with international partners, including UNDP and UNICEF, to prepare bankable projects.
She said project development was underway, and timelines had been set, with June 2026 identified as a key milestone for advancing submissions under the Loss and Damage Fund, the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the Adaptation Fund.
Replying to a supplementary question by Sharmila Faruqui, the minister said delays in operationalising the Loss and Damage Fund were not unique to Pakistan but affected many developing and least developed countries.
She said that while initial projections had suggested inflows of around $87bn, actual contributions so far stood at only $250m, highlighting a wide gap between commitments and delivery.
She said all provinces, including Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, were involved in identifying priorities and preparing projects under the Loss and Damage framework to ensure equitable distribution and effective implementation.
Responding to another question, Kharal said extensive rehabilitation and recovery work had been carried out following recent floods, including in Punjab, and that preparations were already underway for the upcoming monsoon season.
She said a prime minister’s task force, comprising the Ministry of Planning, the Planning Commission and the Ministry of Climate Change, was working on integrated interventions to mitigate potential flood risks.
She said provincial and national stakeholders were fully engaged in climate planning processes, including the preparation of Pakistan’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), adding that technical-level consultations were ongoing and would be followed by ministerial-level decisions.
The minister said Pakistan was also implementing adaptation-focused initiatives such as glacier lake outburst flood (GLOF) risk reduction projects in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Recharge Pakistan programme, and the Scaling Green Pakistan initiative, which included nationwide monsoon tree plantation drives involving schools, colleges and communities.
She added that additional projects focusing on water and air pollution, as well as public-private partnership-based adaptation measures, were also in the pipeline.