ISLAMABAD, Nov 27 (APP):Climate and public health experts on Thursday urged the government to immediately declare climate change a national health emergency, warning that Pakistan’s escalating vulnerability demands bold, science-backed responses—including exploring Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) as a potential tool to safeguard lives, biodiversity and future generations.

A cohort of researchers, health officials and policy specialists at a two-day national consultation hosted by COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI) has called for urgent recognition of climate change as a full-blown public health emergency, citing surging climate-linked diseases and the country’s exposure to extreme weather. The workshop, held on November 26–27, examined how Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) could complement adaptation strategies in a region facing “galloping climate vulnerability.”

Organized in collaboration with the Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering (DSG) and the Directorate of Malaria Control, and supported by the UK-based Degrees Initiative, the forum brought together policymakers, climatologists, malaria specialists and governance experts to assess Pakistan’s readiness to confront the health fallout of climate disruption.

Speakers warned that Pakistan’s public health systems remain dangerously unprepared for the accelerating impacts of climate change—including spikes in malaria transmission, heat stress, and emerging vector-borne diseases. They argued that the country can no longer afford to treat climate and health as separate policy spheres.

Participants stressed that Pakistan, one of the world’s most climate-exposed nations, must expand its scientific and regulatory capacity before considering SRM at any operational scale.

However, they agreed that responsible research, public deliberation and policy preparedness on SRM are essential, given its potential to reduce extreme temperatures and lessen health risks for millions.

Experts also flagged critical gaps in Pakistan’s climate governance architecture, noting that current policies overlook SRM’s scientific, ethical and social dimensions.

 They called for broader cross-sector engagement, transparent public communication, and inclusive deliberations to ensure that any future climate intervention does not deepen inequalities or trigger unintended consequences.

CUI’s research team—already recognized for its work on SRM modelling in the Global South—highlighted the need for coherent policy frameworks that integrate climate science, public health priorities and socio-political considerations.

Stakeholders agreed that strengthened institutional capacity, updated risk assessments, and sustained collaboration are vital for crafting socially just and ethically grounded climate policies.

The consultation concluded with a strong consensus: Pakistan must rethink its climate-health governance urgently, invest in research and preparedness on emerging tools like SRM, and anchor all interventions in justice-based, community-driven approaches to protect vulnerable populations and ecosystems under growing climate stress.