'Pakistan among 23 countries facing drought'.

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan is among the top 23 countries facing a major drought emergency. By 2025, droughts may affect almost three quarters of the world's population.

This was highlighted by the Ministry of Climate Change on Thursday as it observed World Desertification and Drought Day.

According to a statement, desertification and droughts are critical issues worldwide. Desertification is a global phenomenon caused by environmental factors and human activities but had left Pakistan scarred by its multiple impacts including environmental degradation, loss of soil fertility, loss of biodiversity, and reduction in land productivity, which had exacerbated the vulnerability of fragile local communities, the statement read.

'Droughts are not some new phenomenon. They have always been a part of nature and human experience, however, with massive deforestation, and anthropogenic activities a noticeable change in climate conditions had accelerated the fallout. In Pakistan, people are experiencing water stress and rivers are drying up all over the country due to prolonged heat waves, delayed rains and poor distribution of water.

'This worsens especially when the country is predominantly arid. In addition, Pakistan's per capita water availability has dropped from 5, 060 cubic metres per annum in 1951 to only 908 cubic metres now. UNDP states that Pakistan will dry up by 2025, if no urgent action is taken today. Our livestock is critically affected by the rising heat and lack of water in already water-stressed areas of Sindh and...