CLIMATE CHANGE IN PAKISTAN AND

ITS REMEDIES
The history of mankind has been a history of warfare. Every conflict or disaster encountered by
mankind was seen as an end to the world and man himself. Mankind witnessed the two greatest world
wars, Cold War, proxy wars, trade wars, religious wars, and whatnot, but nothing proved as an
existential threat in a true sense to this planet and its inhabitants. The world kept on moving, and
nothing stopped. But, with the end of the 20 th century and the start of the 21 st century, something
alarming caught the attention of world scientists i.e., none other than climate change. A significant rise
in the average Earth’s temperature, the intense cycles of heat waves, droughts, melting of glaciers,
torrential rains, and floods have brought mankind a new challenge. The Earth is warming up at a faster
pace which is unprecedented and the deterioration of the earth’s climate can be seen and felt most
obviously in South East Asia, and Pakistan is no exception to it. Being the 7 th most vulnerable country to
climate change according to the Climate Change Performance Index, Pakistan is faced with numerous
economic, social, geographical, and political implications. For a developing country like Pakistan, with
abject poverty and scarce resources, climate change has the potential to become an existential threat,
unless some timely pragmatic steps are taken by the state and the society. The following essay highlights
the current scenario of Pakistan concerning climate catastrophe; its implications on the economical,
social, geographical, and political fronts in Pakistan; and the pragmatic remedies needed to cope with
the climate catastrophe.

When discussing Pakistan's current predicament in light of the climate catastrophe, it must be noted
that this country is facing a very alarming and worrying situation that could become even more critical
soon, potentially endangering its very existence. According to the World Weather Attribution, Pakistan
experienced about four times more torrential rains between June and August 2022 than the country's
30-year average. The month of august saw more than thrice the usual rainfall, making it the wettest
August since 1961. According to the researchers, a five-day rainstorm that pounded the southern
Pakistani provinces of Sindh and Balochistan in late August was almost 75% more powerful than it would
have been if the climate hadn't warmed by 1.2 °C. By August 2022, Karachi, which typically receives less
than 10 cm of precipitation annually, had measured 48 inches. Urban flash floods and landslides were
also produced by the extreme rains, which also resulted in extensive flooding that was made worse
when the Indus River breached its banks across thousands of square kilometers.

When the implications of climate change on Pakistan are examined, it is seen that it is facing
challenges as a result of the deteriorating weather, economically, socially, geographically, and politically.
Examining the economical implications of climate change for Pakistan, it is important to note that
Pakistan is an agricultural-based economy that is heavily dependent on the agricultural and livestock
sectors. If agricultural output declines dramatically, Pakistan's already unstable trade balance would get
even worse. Similarly, Pakistan's manufacturing sector is vulnerable to the effects of climate change
because Pakistan's value-added exports are dependent on locally produced raw materials. As
agricultural production is hampered by increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, the Pakistani
industry would be forced to import basic raw materials, adding to the current account imbalance.
Moreover, Industries may even move operations overseas to save production costs. It is abundantly
evident from the preceding arguments that climate change negatively affects a nation's economy,
specifically its GDP. For instance, the 2010 floods caused an economical loss of $10 billion. Similarly, the
2022 floods have imparted economic loss of $30 billion, including the killing of 800,000 animals and
destroying 2.3 million hectares of crops and orchards across the country.

Analyzing the social implications of climate change for Pakistan, several social issues are seen.
Firstly, the destruction of the agriculture sector and other means of livelihood would result in a sharp
increment in the unemployment rate in the country. Secondly, malnutrition would rise as a result of
decreased agricultural production, which would also worsen food security. In Pakistan, 36% of urban
children and 45% of rural children are currently malnourished. Thirdly, a large portion of the country’s
population may get devoid of basic health services with a surge in water-borne diseases like cholera,
diarrhea, skin diseases, etc. thus, leading to a health emergency in the country. Fourthly, as a result of
the destruction caused by climate change in rural areas and the resulting population shift to urban
areas, urbanization, would accelerate further. For instance, the recent catastrophic floods and rains of
2022, which affected 15% of the country's population (about 33 million) in 116 districts throughout the
country, killed more than 1500 people, destroyed 1.7 million homes and 18,590 schools, damaged 2,200
miles of roads and 269 bridges, damaged more than 1,460 health facilities, and made people more
susceptible to diseases like cholera and diarrhea.

The geographical implications of climate change for Pakistan are also important. Millions of people
reside along the 1,046 km long coastline of Pakistan. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change’s research, the water level on the coastline has been steadily rising, which forecasts a
rise in sea level of up to 59 cm by the year 2100. Future coastal regions of Pakistan could be flooded due
to this trend and natural calamities like floods, droughts, and tropical cyclones would be more common
than ever before and thus, altering Pakistan's geographical makeup. The natural environment of
Pakistan is challenged by the country's shifting geographic features. The decline of biodiversity is one of
these issues. Coral reefs along the Sindh-Baluchistan coast are in danger of being destroyed due to the
rising ocean acidity brought on by rising atmospheric carbon dioxide. The habitat of the Indus river
dolphin is at risk due to the drying up of the Indus river bed, and Pakistan's coastal mangrove habitats
are receiving less water as a result. Climate change has the potential to cause an unhealthy ecosystem
imbalance.

When discussing the political implications of climate change, it is important to note that politics in
any nation does not function in a vacuum and that climate change has an impact on national politics as
well. In the already volatile political situation of Pakistan, the economic turbulence can swiftly lead to
popular upheavals, which opportunistic politicians may jump on to advance their political objectives.
Despite the provinces' concerns being greatly allayed by the 18 th constitutional amendment, the effects
of climate change pose numerous challenges. The matter of water distribution has always been a tussle
among the provinces. Political tensions between the provinces can worsen as a result of climate change,
posing a threat to national unity and integration. Mass migration is another issue that climate change
would bring about. Many people are anticipated to relocate to other sections of the country as many
areas become uninhabitable as a result of water shortages, or natural catastrophes. For Pakistan, this
can pose a significant political dilemma because mass migrations have historically been viewed with
distrust by some political parties, who saw them as a means of eroding their support.

Talking about the remedies to deal with the catastrophe of climate change, the Pakistani state and
society need to come forward and take some pragmatic measures to mitigate the implications of climate
change. Firstly, there is a need to start urgent programs for reforestation and afforestation in
mountainous regions. Due to a lack of access to electricity and natural gas, deforestation in the northern
parts is very common. Initiatives like Billion-tree Tsunami need to be accelerated. Secondly, there is an
urgent need for the construction of small-scale and mega-scale dams to store rainwater. Thirdly, there is
a need for a waste management plan for mountainous terrain. Mountain communities are forced to
burn their waste outdoors which contributes to the buildup of black carbon on glaciers and speeds up
their melting. Fourthly, newer varieties of seeds that should be more productive and resistant to
environmental change must be the subject of research. On this note, it is also possible to address the
issue of food security. Fifthly, the use of renewable energy sources must be devised. Pakistan has
enormous solar energy and hydropower potential, which can deliver clean, affordable, and consistent
energy needs. Lastly, given that climate change knows no boundaries, Pakistan must engage the
international community in its combat against climate catastrophe by seeking assistance from the
developed world in terms of knowledge, technology, and finance as Pakistan is a party to the Paris
Climate Agreement.

Undoubtedly, Pakistan is currently facing several issues, such as political instability, economic crisis,
poverty, population growth, high unemployment, malnutrition, etc. The catastrophe of climate change
poses the risk of greatly escalating these issues. Future threats to Pakistan's existence may not stem
from terrorism, religious extremism, or cross-border enemies but may stem from climate change's
social, economic, geographic, and political implications. Adaptation to climate change requires taking
timely pragmatic measures. To achieve this, Pakistan's state and society must come forward, join hands
and improve their collaboration in several areas, and the international community must also get
involved. Pakistan can withstand the climate crisis and give its future generations a better future if the
aforementioned efforts are made wholeheartedly.