KARACHI: Senator Sherry Rehman has called for an environmental eme­rgency and reforms as Pakistan topped the list of countries most affected by climate change, Dawn.com reported

According to the Cli­m­ate Risk Index (CRI), published by Germanwatch, Pakistan was ranked the most vulnerable country to climate change in 2022, followed by Belize and Italy.

The index ranks countries by the human and economic toll of extreme weather.

The latest report, published in Feb­ruary, highlighted increasing losses and the urgent need for stronger climate resilience and action.

Ms Rehman shared the report on her X account, stating Pakistan had been listed as the country most affected by climate change.

“CRI ranks countries by the hu­­m­an and economic toll of extreme we­­ather, measuring realised risk,” she wrote, adding that the report “should serve as a huge wake-up call”.

While highlighting the impact of the 2022 floods in Pakistan, CRI said over 33 million people were affected and more than 1,700 lives were lost.

Not only that, over eight million people lost their homes and were internally displaced due to the 2022 floods, while 1.3m houses were damaged.

Environmental emergency

In a separate statement, the senator regretted Pakistan was now the country most vulnerable to climate risks.

“Now it would be wrong to say that Pakistan is in the top 10, unfortunately, we are number one,” the statement quoted Ms Rehman as saying.

“The sharp increase in the risks of stormy rains, hailstorms [and] glacier melting shows the seriousness of the situation.”

The senator noted that “the imposition of an environmental emergency, policy reforms and global aid have become imperative for Pakistan”.

Noting that Pakistan has suffered the most from climate change despite minimal impact on the environment, the senator asked why the country is suffering the consequences of the international community’s contributions to global warming.

“Both lives and the economy are at risk from environmental events. Why should countries like us be punished for the world’s massive use of carbon?

“The time for environmental justice has come,” Ms Rehman said.

“The international community cannot have sustainable development without environmental justice,” she added.

“Take a real account of global warming, only then will developing and poor countries be able to escape the effects of climate change.”

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2025