ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change on Tuesday called for a coordinated and time-bound response to the growing threat of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), stressing the need for reliable glacier data, functional early warning systems and stronger coordination among relevant institutions.

The committee chairperson, Sherry Rehman, said Pakistan had 13,032 glaciers and more than 3,000 glacial lakes, with 33 lakes considered dangerous and capable of bursting suddenly. She said around 131 GLOF events had been recorded historically and warned that a major outburst could put 7.1 million people in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at risk.

She said Pakistan needed a comprehensive monitoring system covering all glaciers and glacial lakes instead of relying on assessments of individual mountain ranges.

“We need to know at what speed our glaciers are receding. Does anyone in the relevant authorities have the exact current figure for the country? We need the latest statistics and data,” she said.

The committee was informed that a Suparco and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government study had identified 24 glacial lakes in the province, five of which were categorised as high-risk. Officials said protective embankments and automatic monitoring systems had been installed, while climate-related incidents in 2026 had damaged 535 houses and 31 bridges.

Officials also briefed the committee about GLOF-I and GLOF-II projects implemented with UNDP support between 2011 and 2024. Senator Rehman said the geographical coverage remained limited and called for closer coordination among Suparco, NDMA, the Pakistan Meteorological Department and provincial authorities.

She said GLOFs were both a climate finance and disaster management issue and called for an integrated response.

The committee was informed that 34 early warning systems had been provided since 2017, while another 284 were expected to be installed within six months.

Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Musadik Malik said communication problems had affected deployment in some areas and satellite packages had been provided where necessary. A special audit of the systems was also under way.

The committee called for a unified glacier inventory, satellite and drone monitoring, use of artificial intelligence, community-based warning systems and improved financing. It also discussed deforestation and forest degradation.

Senator Sherry Rehman called for an audit of timber-related activities and forest loss over the past 15 years, while officials said the forestry component of the Green Pakistan Programme had achieved 54pc of its overall target during 2019-25.

The committee also reviewed enforcement of the Islamabad Capital Territory (Prohibition of

Plastic Book Covers) Act, 2026. Sherry Rehman questioned the continued use of plastic book covers despite the law and stressed that legislation must be enforced.

“Parliament is not a joke. Once parliament passes a law, its implementation and compliance must be ensured,” she said.

The committee called for stronger coordination to enforce the plastic book-cover law and address plastic waste and its contribution to blocked drains and urban pollution.

Senators Syed Waqar Mehdi, Sarmad Ali, Khalida Ateeb and Bushra Anjum Butt attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2026