Pakistan is one of the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change , according to German Watch’s Climate Risk Index. The country has been experiencing an increasing number of heatwaves, droughts and floods. With rapidly melting glaciers and receding groundwater table levels, Pakistan faces grave threats of a water crisis. A recent United Nations report indicated that Pakistan could face acute water shortages by 2050. According to a climate risk country profile by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, Pakistan’s economy is losing as much as US$3.8 billion annually because of climate change . To tackle the challenge of climate change , Pakistan’s government has formulated several policies. Foremost among them is the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme, which aims to plant 10 billion trees by 2023. Similarly, the Alternative and Renewable Energy Policy 2019 ambitiously aims to increase Pakistan’s share of green energy generation to 30 per cent by 2030. Moreover, the government has introduced ecosystem-based adaptation solutions such as Recharge Pakistan to build resilience and reduce vulnerability. These policies are steps in the right direction. However, the ingredient missing from Pakistan’s climate change policies is social awareness and acceptance. Although we now have a narrative in the policy domain through the government’s initiatives, what is needed is a strong narrative in the social sphere. Without awareness that a problem exists, it is impossible to find its solution. Many people are not aware that climate change poses a serious threat to their livelihoods. If you go out on the streets and do a general survey, few people would be aware of the harmful impact of climate change or how in the next 30 years they might not have access to water . Unless people have that necessary awareness, they are unlikely to be motivated to take concrete action or participate in adaptation activities. Islamabad banned plastic bags in August 2019 after three months of awareness campaigns. People were initially reluctant to use alternatives such as cloth or canvas bags. Raids by the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency enforced the ban, and eventually people started complying. However, once the raids stopped, the plastic bags came back into use. The policy eventually failed as people never really accepted the rationale behind it. More than a billion trees have reportedly been planted under the government’s forestation programme, but the general attitude towards tree plantation and preservation has not changed. More trees are being cut every day and the “timber mafia” operates with impunity. Similarly, ecosystem-based adaptation solutions like building storage capacity to retain floodwater , rainwater harvesting, and drip and sprinkler irrigation are community-based. They require the people to understand their purpose and take ownership to implement them. Farmers cannot be forced to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices. They must be aware of the harmful effects of climate change and the rationale behind interventions. Therefore, the most important step is to improve awareness about the imminent threat so it leads to the acceptance of policies. There is an urgent need to build a compelling narrative about the urgency and gravity of the situation. Towards this end, a national climate change awareness campaign should be launched with a special emphasis on the looming water crisis. Past campaigns on issues such as family planning have produced social dividends including changes in behaviour and attitudes. The starting point should be activism in schools, colleges and universities. The strategy must target the young since their minds are still impressionable. Awareness campaigns can be launched in schools, where students are taught about the harmful effects of climate change so behaviour changes can start early. Climate change should be made a part of the curriculum. More importantly, awareness campaigns must be launched in disaster-prone areas so local communities can understand the threats and apply climate adaptation practices. Social media can be a helpful tool as Pakistan has good smartphone penetration. Almost everyone with access to smartphones uses social media. The government can collaborate with content creators, artists and celebrities to raise awareness. In 2019, the environmental group Climate Action Now organised marches in more than 26 cities and towns, including Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. Young people, including university students, attended in large numbers. More such initiatives are needed to generate a discourse on climate change. Environmental organisations, NGOs and think tanks should form a pressure group to lobby for climate activism and pro-environment legislation. Pakistan has the right set of policies but needs effective implementation backed by social awareness and responsiveness. We must act before it is too late. The clock is ticking for Pakistan. Jawad Khalid works for an international aid agency in Pakistan