A senior expert of Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Friday urged intensified collective action and heightened public awareness on climate change, cautioning that rising global temperatures could push 2027 into the list of the hottest years on record.
Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah said coordination between government bodies, emergency responders and development partners needed to be significantly strengthened to deal with escalating climate risks.
Speaking to journalists, he said the global warming trajectory remained uninterrupted, noting that ‘each year is turning out hotter than the last,’ and called for unified efforts among stakeholders to confront the worsening climate situation.
He warned that elevated temperatures were likely to persist through 2026, with prolonged heat conditions expected across the country, adding pressure on ecosystems and increasing risks to public safety.
Mr Shah further cautioned that 2027 could emerge as one of the most extreme years in recorded history, with potential impacts including heightened river stress, rapid glacial retreat, altered weather systems and increased mountain-related hazards.
He said rising greenhouse gas emissions were a major driver of these changes, placing Pakistan among the most climate-vulnerable nations, exposed to hazards such as flash floods, landslides and extreme rainfall events.
He added that the NDMA was enhancing its disaster preparedness through early warning systems, digital surveillance tools and improved alert mechanisms. However, he stressed that effective response required stronger institutional coordination at both federal and provincial levels, alongside emergency and humanitarian agencies.
Concluding his remarks, he said climate change required urgent and sustained policy attention, warning that delays in action would significantly amplify future risks and the severity of extreme weather events.