Sindh unveils climate push as experts highlight urban deficits

Carbon credit initiatives and environmental reforms outlined at NFEH conference as speakers point to drainage, pollution and infrastructure shortcomings

IV Report

KARACHI: While the Sindh government has pledged to strengthen climate governance through carbon credit initiatives, urban forestry and expanded environmental monitoring, experts have cautioned that the province's environmental ambitions continue to be undermined by longstanding civic and infrastructure deficiencies, including poor drainage, untreated industrial pollution, inadequate wastewater management and weak municipal services.

Addressing the 23rd Annual Environment Conference and Awards-2026 organised by the National Forum for Environment & Health (NFEH), Sindh Minister for Local Government, Housing and Town Planning Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said Sindh had become the first province to implement a government-led carbon credit project based on mangrove restoration, describing it as a milestone that combined environmental conservation with sustainable economic gains.

The minister said the provincial government was reinforcing its climate governance framework by amending environmental legislation, establishing a Directorate of Carbon Credits, expanding urban forestry and strengthening air quality monitoring through additional automated monitoring stations across the province. He said these initiatives reflected Sindh's commitment to improving environmental management and building resilience against climate change.

He said the government had approved 13 carbon credit projects at various stages of implementation, covering mangrove restoration, riverine forests, agroforestry, biogas generation and landfill methane emission control. Amendments to the Sindh Environmental Protection Act, he added, were also being finalised to make the environmental regulatory framework more transparent, efficient and responsive to emerging climate challenges while aligning it with international standards.

The minister said the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency had automated its environmental monitoring and No Objection Certificate (NOC) system to improve transparency and accountability, while two fully automated air quality monitoring stations were already operational in Karachi. Plans were also under way to install 17 additional air quality analysers across the province to strengthen environmental surveillance and provide real-time environmental data.

Speaking at the conference, NFEH President Naeem Qureshi observed that nearly 80 per cent of environmental problems in urban centres could be effectively addressed through an empowered and efficient local government system capable of ensuring wastewater treatment, proper sewage disposal, prompt rainwater drainage, sustainable civic infrastructure development and efficient municipal solid waste management.

Delivering the keynote address, Chairman of the Policy Research and Advisory Council Younus Dagha said cities and towns on the right bank of the Indus River remained vulnerable to future flooding because of the continued absence of the Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD), while Karachi's inadequate drainage infrastructure continued to expose millions of residents to urban flooding during heavy monsoon rains.

Dagha also expressed concern over the continued discharge of untreated industrial effluents into the sea, saying it had severely damaged Karachi's coastal marine ecosystem. He observed that timely completion of the city's Bus Rapid Transit system could have significantly reduced carbon emissions from private vehicles, while stronger environmental safeguards, including increased urban tree cover, could have mitigated the impact of recurring heatwaves.

Highlighting adaptation measures, Nasir Hussain Shah said the
provincial government, with support from the Asian Development Bank, was implementing the Jam Sakro Outfall Drain Project to strengthen climate resilience and protect coastal communities in Thatta district from flooding. He also announced the government's contribution of 10,000 tree saplings to the NFEH's monsoon plantation campaign, matching an equal number mobilised by the organisation through private-sector support.

Speaking on global climate trends, Zainab Naeem, Environmental Research Fellow at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, noted that although Pakistan contributed around one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, South Asia had become one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change because of increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events.

Chief Meteorologist Ameer Hyder Laghari of the Pakistan Meteorological Department said close coordination was being maintained with district administrations to facilitate timely responses to heatwaves, heavy rainfall and other extreme weather events. He added that rising humidity in coastal cities, particularly Karachi, had intensified summer discomfort and reinforced the need for stronger climate adaptation measures.

Energy expert Irfan Ahmed said air-conditioners accounted for nearly 60 per cent of Pakistan's peak summer electricity demand and stressed that reducing transmission losses and promoting energy conservation would help lower carbon emissions alongside easing pressure on the national power system.

Former Chairman of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association Dr Kaiser Waheed called for specialised training of healthcare professionals to better respond to diseases and public health emergencies associated with climate change and environmental degradation.

The conference concluded with the presentation of the Annual Environment Excellence Awards-2026 to 68 organisations and recognition awards to 14 companies for their contributions to tree plantation initiatives.

Based on a press release.

Photos: NFEH