Policy analysis

As South Asia pushes ahead with billions of dollars in LNG infrastructure, the unfolding crisis in the Gulf is a stark reminder that energy security in a volatile world remains deeply intertwined with geopolitics.

According to the latest integrated food security phase classification (IPC) analysis, approximately 7.5 million people across vulnerable regions are grappling with high levels of food insecurity and malnutrition.

The UN's broader appeal comes amid regional instability. Weeks of prior violence had already heightened tensions, with Pakistan linking the strikes to cross-border incursions by groups like the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Sri Lanka is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, with an estimated 19 million people expected to live in moderate or severe climate hotspots by 2050.

Cereal production for 2025 was revised upward to a record 3,029 million tonnes – a 5.6 per cent leap – bolstered by favourable monsoons in South America and Africa.

Compounding the acceleration are insidious feedback mechanisms that PIK's research illuminates as potential game-changers. A March 2025 study from the institute projects that even low-to-moderate emission scenarios could unleash amplified heating over the next millennium.

The market’s verdict has been swift and unforgiving. Brent crude futures rocketed to $119.50 per barrel – the highest since mid-2022 – while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) hit $119.48, capping a blistering 25 per cent surge in days.

Pakistan is constitutionally bound by Article 25-A of its Constitution to provide free and compulsory education for children aged 5-16, and it has pledged to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals for inclusive education by 2030.