Page 11 - CMA Journal (Nov-Dec 2025)

Exclusive Interview

This shift is essential because:
1) Pakistan needs USD 40–50 billion annually for Pakistan must end unsafe
adaptation.
construction and enforce
2) International climate finance is loan-heavy, complex,
and slow. climate-resilient land-use
3) Dependence on global funds alone is no longer planning. The catastrophic 2022
viable.
Public-private models that combine risk-sharing, digital floods exposed how fragile and
tools, and transparency are now central to scaling poorly located structures
adaptation efforts.

ICMA: How can early warning systems be strength- collapsed within moments
ened so communities are better prepared before
disasters strike?
Sherry Rehman: Pakistan’s geography makes early
warning a matter of survival. Our land mass contains The federal planning process remains entangled in
13,032 glaciers, the highest number outside the polar numerous aging projects that have not been financed,
regions, and 3,044 glacial lakes, at least 33 of which are yet are still included in the PSDP planning, complicating
classified as dangerous. These pose a risk to 2 million integration with provincial needs. The Water Ministry
people downstream, including 800,000 in immediate remains under-leveraged, even as Pakistan’s water crisis
danger. intensifies, and water planning cannot be separated
The current early warning landscape is still suboptimal. from climate or environmental planning across sectors.
Despite investments, many warnings remain informal and This situation must change.
arbitrary — in one instance, a shepherd alerted ICMA: How can businesses play a real role in climate
communities of an incoming GLOF. Glacier water mass has action while supporting local communities?
declined by 16% in just a few years, and each lake burst
due to high temperatures wreaks havoc, destroying Sherry Rehman: Businesses have a decisive role in
livelihoods and infrastructure, including bridges, within Pakistan’s climate response because every industry
minutes. People in the path of such calamities require depends on energy, water, and stable supply chains, all
upgraded and reliable warning systems. of which are increasingly disrupted by climate change.
Corporate climate action must therefore become a core
Even for river overflows, digital early warning systems
business strategy, focused on adaptation, mitigation,
can evacuate up to 90% of at-risk populations. The path
governance, and accountability.
forward involves integrating AI, satellites, sensors, and
community evacuation protocols, especially since the First, corporate adaptation is essential for business
UN recognizes early warning as a human right. Pakistan survival and community resilience. Companies must
must coordinate agencies like PMD, NDMA, and the prepare for climate shocks such as extreme weather,
Flood Commission with private-sector weather resource scarcity, and supply chain disruptions by
forecasting entities for timely and effective warnings. investing in resilient infrastructure, climate-smart supply
chains, and resource-efficient technologies. These
ICMA: Each province faces unique climate
investments reduce operational risks, protect jobs, and
challenges. How can Pakistan build a coordinated,
ensure continuity for communities that rely on local
resilient response?
industries and services.
Sherry Rehman: While provinces have developed
Second, mitigation efforts are equally critical and
tailored strategies, especially in health, climate policies
commercially viable. Reducing the environmental
are rarely explicitly integrated, despite their clear
footprint of business operations through renewable
adaptation benefits.
energy adoption, energy efficiency, cleaner production
A coordinated response requires federal-provincial technologies, and circular economy principles directly
alignment through shared data, GIS-based catastrophe supports emissions reduction while lowering costs over
modelling, common screening standards, and time. Transitioning away from high-emission
harmonized project pipelines, ensuring that local practices—particularly in energy-intensive sectors such
priorities feed into national resilience planning rather as cement and fertiliser, as emphasised in Pakistan’s
than compete with it. Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

ICMA’s Chartered Management Accountant, Nov-Dec 2025 9