the court decided to resume the hearing again on June 3.
On March 14, Justice Shah had asked the federal government to come up with a report highlighting the initiatives it took to cope with the challenges of climate change in Pakistan, in wake of the massive devastation caused by catastrophic floods in 2022.
Considering the critical importance of the Pakistan Climate Change Act, 2017 (Act), was promulgated on March 31, 2017, with the objective of providing comprehensive adaptation and mitigation policies, plans, programmes, projects and other measures required to address the effects of climate change.
Justice Shah also recalled how the devastation caused by the catastrophic floods in 2022 was a distressing proof of the complexities of climate change, which caused a total damage of Rs3.2 trillion, a total loss at Rs3.3tr and total needs for recovery and reconstruction at Rs3.5tr.
According to the Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan is currently the fifth most climate-vulnerable country in the world, the Supreme Court observed, adding that Pakistan was also facing some of the highest disaster risk levels in the world and ranked 23rd out of 194 countries as per the 2024 Inform Risk Index.
This risk is driven particularly by the nation’s exposure to flooding, earthquakes, tropical cyclones and their associated hazards. It is these alarming statistics that underscore the need to address climate change and mitigate its effect on people and their livelihoods, the Supreme Court emphasised.
The judge added that while developing countries like Pakistan may not be the primary contributors to climate change, acknowledging and confronting its fallout was indispensable, especially for combating the high risks posed by climate change.
