Pakistan’s heatwave preparedness strategy is launched by the UN
As the nation continues to face growing climate-related issues, especially in metropolitan centres that are ill-prepared to handle high heat, the UN has established a comprehensive Heatwave Emergency Plan that targets 38 districts around Pakistan.
In collaboration with Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) and other humanitarian partners, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) created the strategy with the goal of bolstering early response activities and improving readiness.
In order to boost preparedness efforts in 2025, $829,728 in pre-arranged fuel financing has been acquired. The United Nations hopes to serve some 776,000 people in 12 high-risk areas of Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab in the first phase.
The plan is a component of a larger Intersectoral Heatwave Emergency Plan, according to the UN, and OCHA is essential to collaborative planning, response effort mapping, and group readiness.
One of the nations most at risk from climate change is Pakistan, which is now ranked fifth on the Global Climate Risk Index. The rating highlights how vulnerable the country is to extreme weather conditions, such as heatwaves, which are becoming more frequent and intense.
A mild to moderate heatwave is defined by the UN as temperatures that are three to five degrees Celsius above normal for at least three days in a row. Hospitalisations and fatalities as well as serious physical and mental health problems might result from such surges.
Urban locations are especially vulnerable, and local characteristics like humidity, air pressure, and human density also contribute to the effects being amplified. The temperature in cities with a population of one million or more, such Karachi, Hyderabad, and Sukkur in Sindh, and Jaffarabad, Sohbatpur, and Naseerabad in Balochistan, can be up to three degrees warmer than in the nearby rural areas.
Karachi is a key worry due to its frequent exposure to heatwaves without proper mitigation measures, according to UNOCHA, which also stated that “the absence of effective early warning systems and public infrastructure like cooling centres and hydration stations continues to increase heat-related risks.”
A population of over 36 million people in all four provinces will be covered by the emergency plan, with Sindh expected to be the most affected, followed by Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.
Urban centres continue to suffer from inadequate heatwave management in spite of numerous warnings and previous heatwave incidents, such as the fatal 2015 heatwave that killed over 1,200 people in Karachi alone. The installation of water outlets in both urban and rural regions, the construction of public cooling centres in high-density areas, and government-subsidized cooling technology are among the urgent measures that UNOCHA has asked for.
The UN emphasised that, especially as climate change continues to worsen weather extremes in the region, public awareness programs are crucial to assisting vulnerable groups in understanding how to adapt to rising temperatures.
The contingency plan is designed to be triggered based on pre-determined temperature thresholds and implemented through coordinated efforts between the UN, government authorities, and local partners.
Officials have expressed hope that the plan will not only mitigate the immediate impacts of heatwaves but also contribute to long-term climate resilience in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations.
