Pakistan, Oct. 23 -- Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb recently warned that "two reasons that could derail us from becoming a $3 trillion economy" are climate change and unchecked population growth. He is right to call them existential threats. Yet beyond such declarations, Pakistan's leadership has shown little readiness to confront them. The ground reality is stark: the country now has about 251 million people, growing at 2.5 per cent a year, and nearly half live below the poverty line.

Pakistan also ranks among the world's most climate-vulnerable nations (Global Climate Risk Index 2025). The 2022 monsoon floods submerged a third of the country, affecting 33 million people and causing $30 billion in damage. The 2025 floods displaced ...