Climate change reshaping crop, sowing patterns, threatening food security: Rana Tanveer

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Jul, 2026) Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain on Tuesday said climate change was significantly altering Pakistan's crop and sowing patterns, posing a serious challenge to the country's food security and requiring comprehensive adaptation measures to safeguard the agriculture sector.

Talking to the media during his visit to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) after receiving a detailed briefing on the prevailing flood situation, the minister said Pakistan's agriculture sector was among the worst affected by climate change despite the country's negligible contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions.

He was accompanied by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik, Minister for Water Resources Mian Muhammad Mueen Wattoo, Minister for Finance Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar.

Rana Tanveer recalled that the devastating floods of 2022 had inflicted losses worth billions of Dollars, but said the country's disaster management capacity had improved considerably since then.

He appreciated the NDMA for modernising its systems and enhancing its operational preparedness, saying the authority was now better equipped to respond promptly to emergencies through improved early warning mechanisms and timely interventions.

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The minister stressed the need to further strengthen emergency response systems at the district level, enabling local authorities to act swiftly and minimise losses during natural disasters.

Referring to the impact of climate change on agriculture, he said Pakistan ranked among the five countries most vulnerable to climate change, with the farming sector bearing the brunt of its adverse effects.

"The biggest impact of climate change in Pakistan is on the agriculture sector, and food security has become a major challenge," he said.

Rana Tanveer said the government had already begun adjusting crop cultivation and sowing patterns in response to changing climatic conditions and had prepared a comprehensive strategy to help the agriculture sector adapt to climate-related challenges.

He said the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, was pursuing a proactive approach to strengthen climate resilience and expressed confidence that Pakistan would be better prepared to tackle the challenge in the coming years.