The federal government has initiated consultations on the country's first-ever National Urban Strategy aimed at protecting urban centres from floods, heatwaves, water shortages and unregulated construction.

The consultative process was launched during a high-level national workshop jointly organized by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination and UN-Habitat Pakistan in Islamabad today.

Climate Change Secretary Aisha Humera Moriani chaired the event amid growing concern over recurring climate disasters from the Swat floods and Karachi's annual urban inundations to fatal rain incidents in Islamabad's upscale housing societies.

Federal and top key provincial officials, disaster management authorities, urban planners, development experts and international organizations attended the session to help shape a climate-resilient roadmap for Pakistan's rapidly expanding cities.