Minister seeks fast-track action for climate-vulnerable communities

ISLAMABAD, Sep 07 (APP):Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik on Monday called for a shift from lengthy procedures and policy jargon towards practical, community-based action to address the challenges faced by climate-vulnerable cities and poor communities.

The minister made the remarks during a meeting with UN-Habitat Officer Oddy Angelo of Bolivia, where urban development, climate resilience, water and sanitation, flood management and interventions for vulnerable communities were discussed.

Dr Malik criticised delays in development projects, saying international cooperation and policy initiatives must ultimately translate into work on the ground.

“We need impactful work. Bring effective policy input, we will collaborate and get it done,” he said, urging stakeholders to reduce unnecessary delays and focus on implementation.

He said Pakistan needed practical solutions, particularly for communities affected by contaminated water, flooding, inadequate sanitation and poor urban infrastructure.

“One project can change the lives of many,” the minister said, calling for community-based and self-sustaining projects that could be replicated across the country.

Dr Malik noted that various institutions and development partners had already undertaken useful initiatives, but much of the work remained scattered and its impact had not been adequately demonstrated.

He said successful interventions should be identified, their results documented and effective models scaled up to eventually become part of a national agenda.

The minister highlighted the need for practical measures, including water treatment plants in areas affected by contaminated water, flood-resilience projects and improved basic urban services in vulnerable communities.

Dr Malik also called for the National Urban Strategy to be fast-tracked from policy formulation to implementation, stressing the need for greater coordination among government institutions, UN agencies, development partners, local authorities and communities.

He proposed a business and innovation competition for Pakistani youth to generate solutions in areas such as climate change, public safety, vulnerable cities, flood management, technology, water and sanitation, invention and green industry.

The minister said young people should be given opportunities to turn creative ideas into practical solutions to national challenges.

He stressed that development resources must ultimately reach communities and that local populations should have a meaningful role in designing and sustaining projects.

“Pakistan does not lack ideas or talent,” Dr Malik said, adding that the need was to move faster from ideas to implementation, from isolated projects to scalable models and from policy discussions to solutions that improve people’s lives.

He said the success of development should be measured by “less delay, more delivery and tangible improvement” for vulnerable communities.