It seems that terrorism is a more formidable enemy to Pakistan than rising temperatures and sea levels. But it is an unanswered question of what will happen when the climate change overturns Karachi, which is a country’s economic backbone. The impact of global warming always continues to grow, and Pakistan still struggled to the crises ranging from the infrastructure disaster to terrorism in the country. The government always focused on the short term traditional threats while the devastating danger of climate change hides in the shadow. As global warming is growing continually, making the political and economic conditions of Pakistan unstable, will threaten Pakistan with regards to security issues in the future. Pakistani governments should prioritize to give a response to climate changes in the world. The new government took various steps to beat it.
There is another need to aware of the public in this regard. As like the government, the people of Pakistan finds it challenging to put climate change issues at first. A study between 2007 and 2008 found that only 34% of Pakistanis were aware of climate change, and only 24% consider it a severe threat to the country. In 2015, Pakistan listed among the 19 states where climate change has become a significant threat to the people and economy. But now, Pakistan stands among the 10 most vulnerable countries to climate change.
There is another thing to understand that Pakistan is contributing only 1% to global greenhouse gases (GHG), and it is minuscule. But the impact on the country is far more significant.
However, this impression of insignificance of climate is changing now as Pakistan has witnessed the catastrophic floods and dreadful droughts across the country. Currently, Pakistan is facing the following climate challenges:
I. Frequent Floods
Frequency of flood in various areas of Pakistan as increased from the past 7 years. It is due to heavy rainfall and melting glaciers. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported that 49 people lost their lives in floods. As per the report, 15 people were killed in Punjab, 14 in KPK, 5 in Sindh, and 11 in Balochistan.
II. Increasing Sea Level
Increasing sea level is a result of melting glaciers or thermal expansion of the land. Karachi is located near the Indus River Delta, a spot where the Indus river flows to the Arabian Sea. But the rise in sea level also affecting Indus delta and now it is almost at scale with the sea. It is a threat to the ecosystem and can make it unstable as many people rely on rivers for freshwater supply. It can harm people and their livestock. Moreover, this situation can lead to soil or land erosion and disturbs the saltiness of the creek flowing from the river Indus and affecting the lives that are dependent on freshwater.
III. Smog
Smog is a state of intense air pollution. This term Smog is the contraction of two other words, smoke, and fog. Now, the country is facing heavy Smog, which another climate change effect due to pollution in the country. Smog is hitting major Pakistani cities from the past several years. Lahore and Faisalabad are hit by heavy Smog every year in winter.
IV. Severe Droughts
Droughts are a condition of the shortage of water supply in a long-time period, whether it is atmospheric, surface water, or groundwater. It can cause when there is no rain in the area or water rivers or canals are dried. Thar and Balochistan are likely foretelling the climate changes and their impacts. These areas consist of desert lands. A severe drought is hitting these areas for many years. But now, some rains are reported in the field of Thar. Hopefully, a prolonged drought period in that area will end.
V. Heavy Rainfall
Climate change intensifies rainfall and damages crops and fields. Heavy rains are also responsible for floods. In the recent year, 2019, Pakistan witnessed heavy rain in monsoon across the country. It damaged the standing crops, and villagers lost many livestock animals. Farmers faced significant losses on ready to harvest crops. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported that 49 people lost their lives in various accidents resulted in heavy rainfall.
VI. Severe Heat Wave
Karachi is the most populous metropolitan city of Pakistan. And people there are suffering from the severe heatwave, which is also a climate change impact. Authorities have claimed that the heatwave in Karachi has taken the lives of almost 1800 people. Changing climate and environmental factors are affecting the largest city of Pakistan. Thousands of people migrate every year to Karachi because of employment opportunities, and seaport is also here. This port city shares the 42% GDP of the country. It is the city where half of the country’s tax is collected. It also holds stock exchange and headquarters of the central bank. CEO of the real estate portal has claimed that Karachi has the priciest real estate in the country.
VII. Rapid Deforestation
Pakistan is struggling with the highest deforestation rate, between 0.2 percent to 0.5 percent. It is the highest rate of deforestation in the world. Currently, only 2.5 percent of Pakistani land covered the forests. Researchers and experts of climate change have warned the country that Pakistan will run out of the forest in the country in the next 50 years.
The seriousness of Prime Minister Imran Khan about the Climate-Related Challenges in Pakistan
Prime Minister Imran Khan, during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, listed the issue of climate change in Pakistan at the top. He also spoke to the seventh inaugural ceremony of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Asian Regional Conservation forum that there is a close relation between socioeconomic goals and climate-related challenges. Next, at the United Nations Climate Change Summit, Prime Minister Imran Khan delivered a whole speech entailing all facts and figures about the world’s climate, and Pakistan’s contributions to the CHG.
Moreover, Pakistan had been elected as the rapporteur and vice president of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Government Initiatives
Unfortunately, various governments in Pakistan did not pay much attention to this issue. No plans were thought out for securing the country from climate disasters. Previous governments worked on infrastructural things like Orange line Train Plan and Metro Bus Plans in order to reduce the emission of carbons, but it was not as successful as it was thought out. Billion of rees were planted in KPK during 2014-2015. It was hoped with the construction of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Peshawar that it would reduce traffic and help in low emission of carbons. But, it is an incomplete project with 70 billion rupees. Similarly, another ambitious plan by the government has been dipped. It was about to convert at least 30 percent of three and four-wheelers into energy free or electric vehicles. So that it would help in the reduction of air pollution and low energy or fuel bills. But this plan is impractical in the depressed economic situation of Pakistan. The government also tried to ban the sale and use of plastic bags, but people gave an inadequate response.
Conclusion
The government should take remedial steps, and there is also a need to change the National Climate Change Policy. The government and authorities should make short term and long term aims for pollution, deforestation.