ISLAMABAD, Nov 19 (APP):Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik said on Wednesday that the federal government, in collaboration with provincial authorities, will integrate all disaster early-warning systems at the district and tehsil levels under a 250-day short-term plan, enabling the timely evacuation of people and movement of assets ahead of floods.
The unified system will allow local administrations to respond “within a critical window of time” and significantly reduce losses during next year’s monsoon, said the minister while addressing a press conference here.
Sharing details following a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Dr Malik said the Prime Minister reviewed all categories of climate-related threats — from riverine floods and hill torrents to urban flooding and coastal impacts — and approved a national resilience roadmap covering short, medium and long-term measures.
The minister said Pakistan currently has multiple fragmented early-warning systems scattered across different agencies, resulting in delays and confusion.
The Prime Minister has now directed that all datasets be consolidated and displayed on real-time screens in the offices of assistant commissioners and deputy commissioners.
“The first alarm will ring at the tehsil and district levels — not in Islamabad,” he said, stressing that rescue officials and communities must get alerts early enough to evacuate before flood water arrives.
Under the 250-day short-term phase, all damaged embankments, levees, drainage channels and floodgates will be restored.
Urban drainage systems clogged or overwhelmed during recent monsoons will also be repaired ahead of time.
He said recent floods displaced millions, washed away entire settlements and deprived around two million children of school.
As part of the plan, temporary schooling arrangements will be established in disaster-hit districts so education continues even if families are displaced for weeks.
A mobile emergency healthcare system capable of on-site primary treatment and urgent surgeries will also be deployed to reduce casualties caused by delayed medical assistance.
Dr Malik said that although the climate ministry consulted provincial irrigation, agriculture and disaster departments while preparing the initial plan, the Prime Minister has directed a second round of consultations to ensure full provincial ownership.
“Work on the ground has to be done by provinces,” he said. “We will now take the complete roadmap back to them, incorporate their needs, and adjust wherever new elements are required.”
To a question on widespread encroachments — including hotels and resorts built by “powerful groups” along riverbanks — Dr Malik said the Prime Minister has ordered strict action.
“He has directed that illegal structures be demolished and those who approved them be questioned about which zoning rules they used,” he said.
In the long-term plan, the government aims to restore the natural flow of rivers, identify settlements built in hazard zones, prevent new construction in high-risk corridors, and design protective solutions for already existing communities.
“When you block a river, you cannot predict where it will force its way through,” he said. “We must restore natural flows so that water does not destroy unsuspecting villages downstream.”
Dr Malik said Pakistan is not just facing extreme heat; winter severity and climate variability are also increasing. Preparations for both seasons are now being incorporated into resilience planning.
“Our politics must protect the future of our children, especially the poorest,” he added, noting that those most affected by floods often lack any political voice.
The minister said financing is not the primary constraint; governance and implementation lapses have historically caused delays.
In response to another query, he noted that Pakistan’s agreement with the IMF includes USD 200 million climate window, while the country’s longer-term USD 20 billion climate and development programme — one-third of which is climate-related — provides further resources.
Funds from multilateral lenders, including previously under-utilised allocations, will also support the new monsoon preparedness plan. The climate ministry has already given the Prime Minister a preliminary budget outline, with a detailed financing plan to follow once provincial consultations are completed.
Dr Malik criticised bureaucratic delays, pointing out that some PKR 20–30 million projects launched in 2017 have still not been completed despite multiple extensions.
“An entire new town can be built in eight years,” he said. “The problem is not only financing — it is also our own lethargy and implementation gaps. That must end.”
To prevent further delays, the Prime Minister will personally chair quarterly progress reviews. A ministerial committee will meet monthly, while an implementation team will convene every week to track on-ground execution.
Dr Malik said the government intends to bring its entire climate strategy before the public, encouraging citizens to ask tough questions and demand accountability.
“Our children are not expendable, “We owe them a future where disasters do not repeatedly wipe away everything they have,” he maintained.
