National Climate Change Policy

The Policy identifies vulnerabilities to climate change in the sectors of water resources, agriculture, forestry, coastal areas, biodiversity and vulnerable ecosystems and spells out the appropriate adaptation measures to be adopted. It also puts forward appropriate measures concerning disaster preparedness, capacity building, institutional strengthening, technology transfer and international cooperation. The Policy provides a comprehensive framework for the National Action Plan for adaptation and mitigation. The objectives of the new policy are to pursue sustainable economic growth with a series of measures that appropriately address the challenges of climate change. These measures should integrate climate change policy with interrelated national policies. It is intended that policies should focus on pro-poor and gender-sensitive adaptation while also promoting mitigation. There is an explicit acknowledgement of the risks posed to water, food and energy security posed by climate change; and the need to minimise the risks from the increased frequency and intensity of events like floods and droughts. The policy seeks international finance to support the development required to meet these numerous challenges. However, in addition to directly seeking finance, the policy seeks to create economic incentives to encourage public and private sector investment in adaptation measures and the promotion of conservation of natural resources and long-term sustainability. All relevant ministries, departments and agencies will have to devise their own plans and programmes to implement policy provisions relating to their sectors. Similarly, the lower levels of government, provincial governments; the regions of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan; federally administrated territories and local governments are expected to establish their own strategies, plans and programmes for NCCP implementation.