Pakistan Unveils National Drought Action Plan

Pakistan has unveiled its first National Drought Action Plan (NDAP) to shift from a reactive to a proactive, risk-based approach to drought management. Federal Secretary for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Aisha Humera Moriani, emphasized the urgent need for this plan due to climate change making droughts more frequent and severe, impacting agriculture, water resources, food security, ecosystems, and livelihoods in Pakistan. The plan, developed with support from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and extensive consultations, is structured around key pillars including planning, governance, early warning systems, local mitigation, and capacity building. The Money Management International and the Malaysia — Malaysian Meteorological Department played a role in developing the Pakistan Drought Management System, which provides real-time monitoring. A national consultative workshop, attended by various stakeholders including the Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Kingdom — Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, aimed to finalize an operational framework for implementing the plan, defining institutional roles, and identifying priority sectors. Mohammad Saleem, a ministry spokesperson, highlighted that the NDAP will provide a unified framework to strengthen preparedness, mitigation, and response, improving institutional coordination and safeguarding livelihoods in Pakistan.