7.6m people to face food insecurity by 2030, predicts WB report.

KARACHI -- Pakistan is highly vulnerable to the worsening effects of climate change. To avoid increasing poverty rates, building resilience is key, otherwise there is a significant probability of more frequent and intense events such as droughts, floods, and sea-level rises.

This was revealed by a World Bank high-powered delegation led by its regional director for sustainable development for South Asia, John A. Roome, who met with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at the CM House on Monday.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, the chief secretary, the chairman of P and D, and other officials.

Through a presentation, the World Bank's regional director for South Asia told the meeting that Pakistan's recent poverty reduction efforts suffered from macro-fiscal vulnerabilities and low and volatile growth.

The report stated that while extreme poverty had been reduced due to off-farm economic activities and foreign remittances, growth in per capita GDP had been volatile and low.

Climate change is already having devastating effects on the country. The unprecedented floods in 2002 brought one-third of the country underwater, caused 1,700 casualties, and affected around 33 million people, it...