The larger challenge, however, is to change the mindset behind development planning. Every major project should ask three basic questions: Can it withstand future climate shocks? Who will pay if it fails? And who will actually benefit from it? Pakistan cannot afford development that produces short-term gains while creating long-term vulnerabilities. The country needs growth, investment and infrastructure, but these must be pursued alongside sustainability, social justice and climate resilience. Development will only have lasting meaning when it protects the vulnerable, empowers the young and ensures that progress is shared across generations.
Pakistan’s development debate needs a fundamental rethink. For too long, development has been measured in terms of economic growth, investment figures and large infrastructure projects, while the people most affected by poverty, climate change and economic shocks have remained at the margins. Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Senator Dr Musadik Malik’s remarks at the 29th Sustainable Development Conference have brought this contradiction into sharp focus. His central message was simple but important: development cannot be judged merely in dollars. Its real measure is whether it improves the lives of ordinary people and protects the future of coming generations. For poor communities, as the minister rightly observed, development is measured in generations, not dollars.
Pakistan is already experiencing the consequences of a development model that often fails to account for climate risks. Floods, extreme heat and other disasters repeatedly destroy homes, livelihoods and public infrastructure. Yet vulnerable communities are expected to rebuild and recover again and again, often with fewer resources than before. This cannot be called climate resilience. True resilience means building safer homes, protecting settlements and designing infrastructure that can withstand the realities of a changing climate.
The financial dimension of the crisis is equally serious. Developing countries face higher borrowing costs while having fewer resources available for development. The disparity cited by the minister of wealthy countries borrowing at around 2.2 per cent compared with about 5.2 per cent for developing countries illustrates how unequal the global financial system remains. When billions of people live in countries where debt servicing consumes more resources than education and healthcare combined, the consequences are not abstract. They directly affect schools, hospitals, maternal health and opportunities for children.
Climate change adds another burden. Poor workers often pay what can only be described as a climate tax through their health and livelihoods. The example of a brick-kiln worker in Jacobabad continuing to work in extreme heat because his family depends on his earnings reflects the human face of a crisis often discussed only through statistics.
Pakistan therefore needs a development strategy based on climate justice, rights and local ownership. Investment in research, technology and young people should become a central part of this strategy. Initiatives such as the proposed Virtual Green University and Green Cloud could help connect Pakistani researchers and students with international expertise while making technology more accessible to young innovators. The proposed $10 million Green Field Fund is also a welcome step if it is implemented transparently and reaches talented young people beyond traditional institutional circles.