EVEN as he faced a difficult crowd at the finance ministry`s post-budget press conference, it seems that Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb had other issues on his mind too. With the federal capital experiencing one of its hottest days in recorded history the temperature outside had soared to 45°C on Wednesday, just 1.6°C shy of an all-time high he could not help but share some observations about the weather. `It is no longer just about the floods of 2022 those of us living in Islamabad now experience windstorms and hailstorms every week. This never happened before. We are living climate change day in and day out,` he told the media present. It was a poignant moment: a powerful minister expressing vulnerability in the face of what is often described as Pakistan`s most pressing existential challenge, one which should be a cause of common concern.

`Climate change is no longer a myth but an urgent reality.

The high vulnerability of Pakistan calls for reducing global emissions and creating improved adaptive response strategies locally,` the Pakistan Economic Survey, released on Monday, proclaimed. According to the Survey, the country experienced particularly severe effects of the changing climate last year, including extreme heat and unpredictable rainfall. Meanwhile, a severe water shortage devastated major crops, leaving a significant dent in Pakistan`s economic growth. With large parts of the country still in the grip of a severe heatwave as these words were being written temperatures had risen to as high as 50°C in some parts earlier this week there is an inescapable sense of dread about what further disasters loom if coordinated action is not taken.

The government has allocated 6.9pc of its current expenditure budget and 8.2pc of its development budget for the next fiscal year to various climate-related initiatives. It has also imposed a carbon levy to discourage the use of fossil fuels. The total funds allocated come to a little more than Rs700bn, which, while substantial on paper, are still far short of what the country needs according to expert assessments. At the Breathe Pakistan conference earlier this year, former State Bank governor Shamshad Akhtar noted that Pakistan has an annual funding requirement of $40-50bn till 2050 if it wishes to avoid economic devastation. That number seems impossible to achieve without a concerted effort between the public and private sectors to raise awareness and press for the release of global climate funds.

At one point during his post-budget briefing, Mr Aurangzeb acknowledged the important role the media can play in this regard. He singled out Breathe Pakistan, a Dawn Media Group initiative, for helping raise climate awareness. The recognition highlighted how the media can shape public discourse and build momentum for meaningful climate action.