PPP senator says drought and desertification are severely damaging rural economic structure of Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-June 17th, 2025) Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Vice President and Senator Sherry Rehman has sounded the alarm over the country’s rapidly diminishing agricultural land, calling it not just an environmental crisis but a full-scale national emergency.
Speaking on the environmental challenges facing Pakistan, Sherry Rehman said that drought and desertification are severely damaging the rural economic structure of the country. “Around 68% of Pakistan’s land is now classified as barren or semi-barren,” she stated, adding that Pakistan currently ranks first on the global environmental risk index.
Highlighting the growing poverty in regions like Balochistan, Sindh, and South Punjab due to prolonged droughts, she stressed, “The health of our land is the foundation of food security, economic stability, and environmental resilience. Yet the private sector contributes only 6% to land restoration efforts.”
Rehman urged that land rehabilitation must be made part of a comprehensive national strategy. “There is an urgent need for global financial support and debt relief for South Asia. Developing countries are sinking under the weight of environmental losses.”
She also called for linking land restoration to agricultural reform, rural development, and climate policy. “We must invest in infrastructure that prevents famine and strengthens resilience against climate change,” she added.
