ISLAMABAD (Afzal Shah Yousafzai):- The Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change has questioned the delay in the formation of the Pakistan Climate Change Authority (PCCA) and raised concerns over its proposed structure, seeking a comprehensive briefing at its next meeting.
The meeting, chaired by Senator Sherry Rehman, saw Senator Shahzaib Durrani question why the PCCA had not yet been fully constituted if it was an important institution, and what purpose its establishment would serve if it was not considered essential.
Senator Bushra Anjum Butt also questioned the inclusion of Faisal Amin Gandapur as a provincial member of the proposed authority and called for young and talented professionals to be inducted into the institution.
Chairperson Sherry Rehman said she had already anticipated that the PCCA would largely comprise retired individuals. She questioned how the authority would differ from the research institution already operating under the Ministry of Climate Change.
She supported the inclusion of younger professionals, saying a quota should be allocated for youth in the PCCA.
During the briefing, the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Climate Change informed the committee that Pakistan has more than 13,000 glaciers. Rising temperatures are contributing to glacier melting and an increase in glacial lakes, he said.
The committee was further informed that no Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) incident occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during 2026. However, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued four GLOF-related advisories on June 27 and July 11, 17 and 26 this year.
Responding to the briefing, Sherry Rehman said the information provided was already known to the committee and directed the relevant authorities to return at the next meeting with a complete and comprehensive briefing on the PCCA and climate-related risks.
