Pakistan’s National Climate Change Policy (2012) and National Food Security Policy (2018) both emphasize the urgent need for climate-resilient agriculture to secure food security and national stability.

Climate change is eroding the foundations of food security, but solutions exist and must be scaled up.

International organizations have provided frameworks and resources, while national policies such as the National Food Security Policy and National Water Policy already outline corridors.

Pakistan’s agriculture sector contributes about 20 percent to GDP and engages nearly 65 percent of the labor force, yet it is increasingly vulnerable to climate extremes. The floods of 2022 affected 33 million people, destroyed 1.7 million hectares of crops, and caused damages estimated at 14.9 billion USD. According to the National Nutrition Survey, 37% of households are food insecure, while UNICEF reports that 40 percent of children under five are stunted. The Indus Basin irrigation system, the largest contiguous irrigation network in the world, sustains 80% of cultivated land, but mismanagement, water scarcity, and climate shocks have eroded resilience. Pakistan’s National Climate Change Policy (2012) and National Food Security Policy (2018) both emphasize the urgent need for climate-resilient agriculture to secure food security and national stability.

Government pledges........

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