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ISLAMABAD, Dec 08 (APP):Balochistan must be recognized as a frontline region in Pakistan’s climate resilience agenda, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Romina Khurshid Alam said on Monday, urging international partners to scale up investment in the province’s adaptation and sustainability initiatives.
Speaking at the Conference on Sustainable Development and Climate Resilience in Balochistan, organised by the Government of Balochistan in Islamabad, Romina underscored Pakistan’s acute exposure to climate shocks despite contributing less than one percent to global greenhouse gas emissions.
Balochistan, comprising 44 per cent of Pakistan’s territory and hosting the country’s longest coastline, sits at the “intersection of climate risk and climate opportunity,” she noted.
“Climate change is no longer a distant threat for us — it is a present-day emergency. Pakistan is paying the price for emissions it did not produce. Yet the resolve of Balochistan to lead with vision and innovation is remarkable,” she said.
Romina commended Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti for integrating climate action into provincial governance and praised Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan for aligning the province with modern climate-finance frameworks amid security and development challenges.
She emphasized that grant-based and concessional climate finance remains vital for resilient infrastructure, water security, and sustainable livelihoods.
The coordinator also called for stronger public-private partnerships to ease fiscal pressure and accelerate the province’s transition toward clean energy and green development.
Special attention, she said, must be directed toward coastal and marine ecosystems where mangrove restoration and biodiversity protection can serve as scalable nature-based solutions, supporting blue carbon markets and eco-tourism.
“Political will is an undervalued asset, but it is central to effective climate governance,” she added, stressing that cooperation across federal and provincial institutions, international donors, and local communities is essential to translate policy into action.
Reaffirming the federal government’s commitment under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Romina said Pakistan will continue to push for enhanced climate diplomacy, equitable access to global financing, and targeted support for vulnerable regions such as Balochistan.
The conference was attended by senior government officials, diplomats, representatives from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, United Nations agencies, the European Union, GIZ, and private-sector stakeholders.
Discussions centered on carbon markets, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, climate-resilient infrastructure, and ecosystem restoration.
Calling Balochistan a “priority destination for climate investment,” Romina urged global institutions and investors to recognize the long-term dividends of resilience-focused financing.
“This is not just an environmental agenda,” she said. “It is a peace, equity, and development agenda — for Balochistan, for Pakistan, and for the region.”