KARACHI: The province of Sindh has been given an incredible Rs48.8 billion over the last 16 years for climate-related projects, but less than half of that amount has been spent.
This was made clear in a climate budget report that The Citizenry Karachi, a research and analytical business, produced.
It examined the effectiveness of several agencies dealing with climate change and presented a dismal picture of the government’s objectives.
In the sixteen years between 2007 and 2023–2024, Sindh only managed to invest Rs20 billion, or 41 percent, of the entire climate budget, according to the report.
During an ensuing panel discussion, the head conservator of the Forest Department emphasized that there is serious worry regarding the inadequate funding allocated to different agencies related to climate change.
Renowned consultant Shahid Lutfi emphasized that evaluating a department’s technical performance cannot be done just based on its financial performance. He made the observation that people in charge of funding decisions frequently have little direct experience with technical issues.
As to the Climate Budget Report, the recently founded Directorate of Climate Change (DoCC) has been allocated an annual sum of Rs 40 million out of a block allocation of Rs 90 million. However, the DoCC has not reported any expenditures; therefore, its performance status stands at 0%.
