Climate Governance in Punjab: Turning Policy into Action

Climate change is often discussed in terms of rising temperatures, floods, droughts, and changing rainfall. But behind every climate risk is also a governance question: how quickly can institutions identify the risk, coordinate a response, and turn policy into action? For Punjab, this question is becoming increasingly important. The province faces climate pressures across agriculture, water resources, cities, public health and infrastructure. At the same time, Punjab has developed several policies and institutional mechanisms aimed at building climate resilience. The challenge now is to make sure that these policies do not remain only on paper. The next step in Punjab's climate journey should be to strengthen the connection between provincial climate policy and action at the district and local levels. Punjab Already Has a Policy Foundation Punjab's policy framework has developed significantly in recent years. The Climate Resilient Punjab Vision and Action Plan 2024 sets out a province-wide approach to climate resilience and places emphasis on green investment, low-emission development, climate financing and action at the district level. The plan is important because climate risks are not the same everywhere. A district facing recurrent flooding may require different priorities from one dealing with drought, extreme heat or pressure on agricultural water supplies. The official implementation framework therefore includes actions related to urban flooding, drought and heatwave management, climate action plans and climate-smart agriculture. This provides Punjab with an important foundation. The real test, however, is implementation. Why District-Level Governance Matters Climate policy eventually reaches citizens through decisions made close to where they live. A heatwave affects people through hospitals, schools, workplaces, transport and urban infrastructure. Flooding can be made worse by inadequate drainage or poorly planned development. Farmers experience climate change through water availability, crop productivity and extreme weather. This is why climate governance cannot remain the responsibility of one department. Punjab's own experience with heatwave planning demonstrates the need for coordination. In 2023, the Punjab Government reported that departments including health, disaster management, forests, parks, housing, transport and local government were involved in discussions on heatwave management. The Punjab Government's report on the heatwave meeting also highlighted the need for departments to develop coordinated action plans. The lesson is straightforward: climate risks cross administrative boundaries, so climate responses must do the same. From Policies to Measurable Local Action A useful way forward would be to make climate risk assessment a routine part of district planning. Each district could identify its most important climate risks and connect them with practical actions. These assessments could consider heat exposure, flood and waterlogging risks, drought, water availability, agricultural vulnerability and pressure on urban infrastructure. Punjab's climate action framework already points towards this approach. Its implementation platform includes proposed measures such as developing city-level climate action plans based on greenhouse-gas inventories, risk and vulnerability assessments, and climate scenarios. It also identifies the need to update master plans to address urban flooding, drought and heatwave risks. (Climate Resilient Punjab – Cross-Cutting Actions) The value of such an approach is that it makes climate policy more concrete. Instead of simply asking whether Punjab has a climate policy, policymakers can ask more practical questions: Which districts are most exposed? Which communities are vulnerable? Which department is responsible? What resources are required? And how will progress be measured? Climate Policy Must Connect with Development Climate governance should not operate separately from development planning. A new road, hospital, school, housing scheme or irrigation project can remain in use for decades. If climate risks are not considered during its design, public investment may create infrastructure that is less capable of dealing with future conditions. Agriculture provides a clear example. According to the World Bank, Punjab accounts for 73% of Pakistan's total food production, making agricultural resilience an important part of both climate and food-security policy. The World Bank-supported Punjab Resilient and Inclusive Agriculture Transformation Project focuses on climate-smart technologies, improved water-use efficiency and greater resilience among small farmers. This illustrates an important principle: climate policy becomes more effective when it is integrated into existing economic and development priorities rather than treated as a separate environmental issue. Building Stronger Institutions Effective climate governance also requires institutional capacity. Punjab has taken a step in this direction through the Climate Policy and Technology Center (CPTC), which became an attached department of the Environment Protection and Climate Change Department after the merger of the Environmental Technology Center and Environmental Policy Center. Its functions include climate policy and strategic planning, climate data management, research and support for green investment. The challenge now is to strengthen the link between provincial technical expertise and implementation on the ground. District administrations and relevant departments need access to reliable climate information, clear responsibilities and practical guidance. Without these connections, even well-designed policies can struggle to produce consistent results. What Could Better Climate Governance Look Like? Punjab does not necessarily need another layer of policy. It needs stronger implementation of the policies and plans already available. Five practical steps could help: • Develop district climate risk profiles to identify local vulnerabilities and priorities. • Assign clear departmental responsibilities for climate-related actions. • Integrate climate risk into development projects before public investments are approved. • Use measurable indicators to monitor whether planned actions are actually being implemented. • Strengthen public participation by involving communities, researchers, students and local organisations in identifying problems and evaluating solutions. These steps would make climate governance more visible and accountable. The Implementation Test Punjab has already built important pieces of its climate governance framework. Its Environment Protection Department Resource Centre provides access to climate-related plans, environmental regulations, reports and other policy documents. The next challenge is therefore not simply to produce more policies. It is to make existing policies work together. Climate governance should ultimately be measured by what changes on the ground: whether vulnerable communities are better protected, whether public infrastructure is more resilient, whether water and agricultural resources are managed more sustainably and whether government decisions take future climate risks into account.