ISLAMABAD: Senator Sherry Rehman, the chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change, has called for accelerated investment in land restoration, regional climate cooperation, and an end to the weaponisation of water resources, warning that Pakistan was on the frontlines of a compounding climate emergency marked by desertification, drought and declining water security.
“Pakistan is losing fertile land at an alarming rate due to desertification, droughts, and mismanaged water resources, threatening food security, livelihoods, and the very fabric of rural economies,” she said in a statement issued on Monday on the occasion of World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
“This is not just an environmental issue, it is a national emergency,” she added.
Climate Risk Index 2025 ranks Pakistan 1st among top 10 countries most affected by extreme weather events in 2022, with over 68 per cent of its land area now classified as arid or semi-arid.
Calls for accelerated investment in land restoration, regional climate cooperation, end to weaponisation of water resources
The country loses nearly 27,000 hectares of forest and productive land annually, while prolonged droughts in Balochistan, Sindh and south Punjab continue to push vulnerable communities deeper into poverty. The per capita availability of water had plummeted from 5,000 cubic metres in 1947 to less than 900 today, crossing the threshold of water scarcity.
This year’s theme — “Restore the Land. Unlock the Opportunities” — could not be more relevant for Pakistan. Healthy land underpinned food systems, climate resilience, and economic stability.
But as the UNCCD warned, over one million km² of productive land — about 113pc of Pakistan’s total land area — was lost worldwide to degradation every year, requiring $1 billion in daily investments for restoration between 2025 and 2030. Yet current global investments stand at just $66bn annually, with private sector contributions standing at a paltry 6pc.
