Karachi, April 23, 2026
The President of the National Forum for Environment & Health (NFEH), Muhammad Naeem Qureshi, has expressed serious concern over the continuing lack of coordination between federal and provincial governments in addressing Pakistan’s worsening environmental challenges.
In his Earth Day statement issued on April 22, he noted that despite repeated climate-induced disasters—including severe floods and increasingly intense rainfall patterns—Pakistan still lacks a unified and effective national strategy to manage environmental emergencies. He warned that fragmented governance and delayed response mechanisms are resulting in significant human and economic losses across the country.
“Environmental degradation in Pakistan is continuing unabated, primarily due to weak institutional coordination and the absence of a proactive, integrated approach,” Qureshi stated. “The provinces, which are on the front lines of climate impact, still lack the necessary capacity and preparedness to respond effectively to climate emergencies.”
He further highlighted the alarming absence or inactivity of Environmental Protection Councils in several provinces, terming it a serious governance gap. He also criticized the limited effectiveness of provincial environmental protection agencies, stating that they have failed to enforce environmental regulations and control pollution and ecological degradation.
Mr. Qureshi urged both federal and provincial governments to urgently revive and strengthen environmental governance frameworks, improve intergovernmental coordination, and invest in institutional capacity-building. He emphasized that environmental protection must be treated as a national priority rather than a ceremonial observance.
“Earth Day should not be reduced to symbolic gestures. It must serve as a wake-up call for decisive and coordinated action to safeguard our environment and protect future generations,” he added.
The NFEH reaffirmed its commitment to promoting sustainable environmental policies and called upon all stakeholders, including government institutions, civil society, and the private sector, to treat environmental protection as an urgent national responsibility.
