PESHAWAR – The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has decided to establish an independent climate action board to counter the impacts of climate change.
The board will consist of eight administrative secretaries and four members from the private sector. Its mandate will include policy formulation, research, coordination with international institutions, preparation of greenhouse gas inventories, and maintaining links among various departments.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has faced repeated climate change disasters that caused both human and financial losses. On 15 August, floods, heavy rains, and cloudbursts struck districts of Malakand Division, killing hundreds of people and injuring many others. The natural calamities also destroyed roads, bridges, electricity systems, agriculture, and livestock. In response to these repeated losses, the provincial government approved the creation of the climate action board to address future threats.
According to a draft document available with The Peshawar Post, the legal framework for the KP climate action board will go before the provincial assembly, and the institution will formally come into existence once lawmakers pass it. The draft states that the board will operate with complete freedom and autonomy at the provincial level.
The board will prepare climate-related policies, facilitate inter-departmental coordination, and establish research collaborations with international organizations. It will also secure carbon credits, develop new climate policies, and hold meetings at least once every four months. The board will prepare a greenhouse gas inventory and promote a low-carbon economy.
The draft assigns the board the responsibility to address climate threats, streamline decision-making, and create harmony among departmental efforts. It will plan, monitor, and implement all climate-related initiatives across the province. The board will conduct, promote, and supervise research on mitigation, adaptation, and climate finance. It will coordinate departmental activities on climate action, facilitate their execution, and ensure climate tagging of all schemes in the Annual Development Program (ADP) to align with environmental targets.
The board will mobilize financial resources, establish and manage a climate action board fund, and connect provincial projects with international climate financing mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund, Climate Investment Fund, and Global Environment Facility.
It will facilitate participation in carbon markets, support carbon credit creation, promote low-carbon development, and set carbon pricing mechanisms for implementation. It will also monitor climate program progress, run public awareness campaigns, and promote sustainability.
The provincial assembly will review and approve the draft, after which the climate action board in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will formally begin operations.
Climate journalist Dawood Khan welcomed the government’s decision and called it a timely step. He said the initiative shows that climate change has now become a reality and that the government has started taking measures at the policy level to tackle its impacts. He added that the board will enable not only research but also effective measures to counter climate change, making it a dedicated institution to handle key environmental challenges.
