The 18th Amendment and Climate Governance Gap in Pakistan: A Principal–Agent Analysis of Coordination Failure

Abstract

This study explores post-18th amendment coordination failures among institutions in Pakistan’s climate governance from the Principal Agent lens. The paper focuses on the impact of the 18th Amendment on institutional coordination, accountability, and the causes of failure behind existing coordination channels, whilst assessing their capacity to produce actionable outcomes. Pakistan has developed policy frameworks and institutional structures aligned with international guidelines to mitigate climate-related adversities. However, the nation’s vulnerability towards climate change remains unabated, raising concerns regarding its effective implementation. To systematically assess the climate governance gaps, this paper employed a document-based qualitative approach. Key policy instruments, relevant documents, and the role of institutional actors at different levels of government were studied. As a result of the 18th Amendment, repetitive mandates, lack of inter-agency coordination, and multi-dimensional coordination were identified as the emerging reasons impeding climate governance. The study recommends policy changes in climate governance through amendments in climate change act 2017, bridging the technical gap by introducing a digital tracking system, and increasing horizontal cooperation along with transparency and efficiency between the federal and provincial governments.