By Moaaz Manzoor

Pakistan has completed two key climate and environmental projects that expanded water quality monitoring capacity and strengthened regulation of genetically modified organism (GMO) imports. One of the initiatives generated more than Rs1.9 billion in regulatory fees against a project cost of Rs200 million.

According to official documents available with Wealth Pakistan, two Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination concluded on June 30 after upgrading laboratory infrastructure, expanding environmental monitoring systems and strengthening Pakistan's biosafety regulatory framework.

The larger initiative, Capacity Building for Water Quality Monitoring and SDG 6 (6.1) Reporting, was implemented at a total cost of Rs1.289 billion, including a PSDP allocation of Rs102 million, while South Korea's KOICA provided $7.42 million in in-kind assistance.

According to the documents, the project upgraded 45 water quality laboratories in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, trained 250 laboratory personnel, established water quality management information systems and mobile testing laboratories, initiated work on a National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy, and strengthened provincial data systems for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) reporting.

The investment comes as concerns over safe drinking water, contamination and environmental monitoring continue to grow, making laboratory capacity increasingly important for water testing and evidence-based policymaking.

The ministry also completed the Pakistan Biosafety Clearing House (Pak-BCH) for GMOs Regulation project, a Rs200 million PSDP initiative aimed at strengthening implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

During the project's implementation, authorities processed 1,196 permits for genetically modified soybean imports and 184 permits for GM canola imports, while generating more than Rs1.9 billion in regulatory fees, according to the ministry's documents.

The project also updated Pakistan's Biosafety Rules and Guidelines in 2024 and established the foundation for creating a permanent National Biosafety and Regulatory Centre (NBRC) to strengthen long-term oversight of GMO imports and biosafety regulation.

Financial records show the water quality project had incurred cumulative PSDP expenditure of Rs71.2 million by June 2025 before receiving a revised FY2025-26 allocation of Rs25 million, of which Rs18.2 million was released.

Similarly, the biosafety project recorded cumulative expenditure of Rs111.2 million by June 2025 and received a revised allocation of Rs83.4 million for FY2025-26, with Rs55.2 million released during the year.

The completion of the two projects adds permanent institutional capacity in areas that affect both public health and environmental governance. While the upgraded laboratories are expected to improve monitoring of drinking water quality and support SDG reporting, the strengthened biosafety framework is intended to improve regulatory oversight of GMO imports and align Pakistan's regulatory regime with international biosafety commitments.

Credit: INP-WealthPk