Lahore: Federal Minister for Climate Change Dr Musadik Malik and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Thursday discussed measures to deal with monsoon-related challenges, possible floods and climate change impacts, with both sides agreeing to further strengthen coordination and early warning mechanisms.
Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Chief Secretary Punjab, Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) and Director General Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) were also present during the meeting.
During the meeting, the ‘Punjab Climate and Disaster Resilience Plan 2026’ was presented, while it was agreed to make the Early Warning System more effective for timely forecasting of extreme weather events. The meeting also decided to ensure coordination between federal and provincial institutions at least six hours before any severe weather event.
The participants agreed to install centralized information screens regarding climate and flood-related updates in all districts and tehsils of Punjab, conduct mock exercises before the monsoon season and further improve coordination between PDMA and NDMA.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed relevant departments to issue comprehensive advisories about rainfall patterns, heatwaves and other extreme weather conditions. She also ordered strengthening district-level logistics for flood response and ensuring controlled tourism in vulnerable areas.
Speaking at the meeting, the chief minister said timely medical facilities, food, shelter and other essential assistance were provided to flood-affected people during the previous floods, while no major epidemic was reported.
She said the capacity of PDMA, Rescue 1122, WASA and other relevant departments had been enhanced, while efforts were underway to increase water storage capacity.
Dr Musadik Malik appreciated the Punjab government’s initiatives regarding climate change, disaster management and flood preparedness, saying that on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the federal government was working with all provinces on climate resilience plans and would extend all possible support to Punjab.
The meeting also reviewed flood management operations of the previous year and agreed to further enhance cooperation between federal and provincial institutions to effectively respond to possible severe weather conditions in the future.