Sherry raises alarm as Pakistan tops global climate risk index

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Vice President and Parliamentary Leader in the Senate Senator Sherry Rehman has voiced grave concern over Pakistan being ranked the most climate-vulnerable country in the world.

“It would be incorrect to say that Pakistan is among the top 10 vulnerable nations. Sadly, we are now number one,” said Senator Sherry Rehman, reacting to the findings of report by Climate Risk Index 2025 Germanwatch.

Climate Risk Index 2025 Germanwatch now lists Pakistan as the top most impacted country in the world.

Senator Sherry Rehman said the report highlights the growing intensity of extreme weather events in Pakistan, including torrential rains, hailstorms, and the accelerated melting of glaciers.

She said these threats are a stark reminder of the deepening climate crisis confronting the country. “Despite contributing only marginally to global emissions, Pakistan is bearing the brunt of the damage,” she lamented.

The senator stressed that the increase in deadly climate incidents is putting both human lives and the national economy in jeopardy. “Pakistanis need training and preparedness to survive extreme weather events. This is now a pressing national need,” she added.

Senator Sherry Rehman underscored that Pakistan’s role in causing global pollution is negligible, yet it is among the hardest hit. “We are paying the heaviest price for a crisis we barely contributed to,” she said.

She warned that climate change is no longer a distant phenomenon but a current disaster eating away at land, livelihoods, and lives. “The climate crisis is not just altering weather -- it’s consuming our lives and futures.”

Calling for international accountability, Senator Sherry Rehman questioned the justice of climate impacts being borne disproportionately by developing nations. “Why are countries like Pakistan paying for the carbon excesses of industrialised nations? The time for climate justice has arrived.”

She urged the global community to recognise that sustainable development is impossible without environmental equity. “Without climate justice, the dream of sustainable development will remain just that -- a dream.”

Senator Sherry Rehman concluded by warning of the visible signs of a climate emergency in Pakistan and called for urgent policy reforms and global assistance. “Climate emergency indicators are already evident. Without policy reform and international support, Pakistan’s climate resilience will continue to erode,” she warned.