Pakistan must integrate climate change measures into policies.

Byline: AYESHA KHALID

The term climate is a global environmental situation which can be assessed through changes in temperature, pressure, humidity and precipitation in the atmosphere. The changes in these indicators can be assessed through different climatic events such as the melting of ice glaciers, floods and elevating sea levels. Climatic change results in the frequent occurrence of natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, storms and droughts therefore, the population must be made aware of the adaptation of climate change.

The devastations and threats that climate change has imposed upon the world over the years are visible and evident. Many countries and their residents have adaptation capacities to climate change. However, residents of Pakistan, with low-income levels, financial constraints and lack of awareness to combat climate change are comparatively more vulnerable.

It is quite evident that the temperature rate has been rising in Pakistan over the decades. The temperature has shown a higher increasing trend in northern Pakistan (0.8 degrees Celsius) compared to Southern Pakistan (0.6 degrees Celsius) over the last century. As per Maplecroft Index, the vulnerability of Pakistan due to climate change has increased from 2010 onwards, and is rated 16th out of 170 countries of the world.

Significance

The adverse effects of climate change have already been witnessed by the country in the form of an unforgettable drought of 1998-2001 while the 2005 earthquake disaster and the most unfortunate floods in 2010 and 2022. The 2010 floods imposed an economic loss of around $9.5 billion and affected 25 million people in the country. The climatic changes adversely affect the development process in all dimensions may it be economic, social or environmental.

Economically the adverse impacts of climate change are on water, food and energy security and it further extends to the sectors such as forestry, agriculture, livestock and industry etc. Pakistan is facing a scarcity of freshwater resources; per capita, water availability is decreasing over time. Since the water is declining in rivers due to threats to their watersheds it certainly affects food security. The productivity of agricultural crops is reduced in the form of crop yield gaps. The decreased flow of water into the rivers has affected the hydropower generation capacity; increased temperatures have affected the efficiency of thermal power plants putting a threat to energy...