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Chairing the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman strongly and repeatedly advocated that government must move BISP support to the frontline tier of nearly three million flood impacted people nationwide. This was done in 2022, so it is not a wheel anyone has to invent. People impacted by floods must be compensated and supported in difficult circumstances where they face homelessness, food insecurity and disease after the floods. The Committee endorsed her call. She stressed that “the government must urgently move BISP support to impacted communities without delay. Delays in financial transfers are causing misery among 3 million affected people . Instead of considering mini budgets, the government should be mobilising international support, which is already available. Pakistan should appeal to the UN, just as it did in 2022, when BISP transfers provided timely relief to families.”

The Committee also ordered the immediate mapping of Pakistan's waterways and blockages on the floodplains of the River Indus and its tributaries , as well as water storage options that are affordable and impactful based on best practices everywhere.

The Committee also questioned PMD's grossly incorrect predictions for rain in Karachi, raised by Senator Marri, while the GLOF 2 program in GB was identified as inadequate to meet rising and current risks to the area.

The Chair also took notice of Rawal and Simli Dams' high water contamination levels, which three departments were unable to defend or even coordinate in their presentations .

The NDMA Chairman briefed the committee that 998 people lost their lives and 1,062 were injured in the current wave of floods, with 3 million affected in Punjab alone. Nearly 300,000 displaced people are living in tents, while 2,000 relief camps are active across the country. Rescue operations are ongoing in Punjab and Sindh with support from the Navy and Army. NDMA also underscored that April 2025 was the hottest April in 65 years, winters are shortening while summers are lengthening, and the impacts of climate change are intensifying with erratic hail, flash flooding, and glacial melt.

Senator Rehman directed that immediate details of affected populations, their locations, and needs must be compiled and shared. Also pressed for improved standards in relief camps, provision of water, electricity, and health services, and a transition plan from temporary shelters to permanent housing.

Turning to the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF-II) project, Senator Rehman expressed deep concern at what she described as “glacial slow governance.” Despite Pakistan being among the being declared as the most climate vulnerable country in 2022 by Climate Risk Index 2025, project delivery remains unacceptably slow:

The Committee was informed that only 15% of the GLOF-II budget has been spent on early warning systems (EWS) from 2017 to today. The MOCCEC said that 30% of project funds are consumed by administrative costs.Although the project was signed in 2017, out of 36 identified sensitive sites, and 48 valleys in peril, only 24 valleys have been covered, with 172 early warning systems operationalised.

Senator Rehman remarked: “People are suffering because of procurement delays, administrative bottlenecks, and poor coordination. The communities of Gilgit-Baltistan are paying the price of systemic failures.”

UNDP and Ministry of Climate Change officials, under scrutiny from the committee, acknowledged that First responders have not been integrated into the early warning systems.Terms of Reference (TORs) were drafted and sent for audit, but on-ground capacity assessments remain unclear. A ground committee with parameters  for analysing sensitive valleys were established, but implementation has been slow. The Pakistan Meteorological Department is custodian of the EWS specifications, yet equipment delays undermined the system.

 

Senator Rehman stressed the urgency: “We need to accelerate GLOF-II and build both buffers and resilience for people on the frontlines. What is the actual ground capacity? No one knows. But what we do know is that glaciers are melting, flash floods are increasing, and the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are suffering.”

 

Senator Rehman further directed that public hearings will be held in affected areas in GB to ensure transparency, accountability, and inclusion of local voices.

 

The Committee also reviewed alarming findings on water safety in Rawal and Simly Dams. According to CDA officials:

•          Rawal Dam has been declared 100% unsafe, with surface water contamination rendering oxidation meaningless.

•          A PCRWR study found that 62% of water available to consumers after filtration was unsafe for drinking.

•          The report, covering July–August 2025, presented highly concerning and recent results.

•          The Supreme Court had earlier directed the Punjab Government to act immediately on sewage contamination in Rawal Dam, but action has lagged.

Senator Rehman criticised the concealment of data: “The statistics have been merged  to hide the real situation. Reports and presentations are inconsistent. When surface water is unsafe at source, filtration becomes meaningless. We are here to audit your work, not remain silent spectators.”

 

Senator Rehman demanded that transparency be ensured in water quality reporting and that urgent steps be taken to secure Rawal and Simly Dams from contamination risks, noting their centrality to Islamabad and Rawalpindi’s drinking water supply.

Senator Rehman concluded: “Pakistan is facing climate catastrophes every year. Relief must not be delayed, governance cannot remain this slow, and resources cannot be consumed by administration instead of frontline action. Whether it is flood relief, glacial melt, or drinking water safety — we need urgent course correction now.”

 

The meeting was attended by Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, Senator Manzoor Ahmed Kakar, Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi and Senator Naseema Ehsan. Senator Qurrat ul Ain Marri attended remotely. NDMA chairman and CDA Chairman also attended the meeting along with officials from MoCC&EC, representative from UNDP and other concerned officials.

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