Climate change is one of the biggest challenges for South Asian countries, especially Pakistan. The current climate change scenario impacts the country’s environment, infrastructure and biodiversity. Climate change is a reality. It is a rising problem all around the world, and Pakistan is disastrously affected by it.
Rapid Industrialization, Housing societies on agricultural lands, fossil fuel use, plastic use, deforestation and polluted vehicles worsen the situation. The release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) is also the primary reason for global warming. Although Pakistan contributes less than 1 % of GHGs, it is more vulnerable to the effects of global warming.
The current weather trends, including glacier melting and extraordinary monsoon rainfall, caused disastrous floods in July and September 2022.
“Pakistan is on the frontline of the climate crisis. Climate injustice is starkly visible, with its people facing disproportionately severe consequences, often life-threatening, despite their small contribution to climate change. Tackling a climate crisis of this scale requires global attention and action.
Wealthier countries must make no mistake about their important role,” said Dinushika Dissanayake, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director in South Asia.
Pakistan has ranked among the top 10 countries on the Climate Rate Index (CRI). Climate change is an international issue and a serious threat to Pakistan because it is primarily affected by climate change activities.
There is a study which stated that if current trends in global warming remain, the result would be occurrences in increases in average global temperature, sea level, and extreme weather activities such as storms, heat waves, cyclones, droughts, floods, etc., a series of devastating floods, heatwaves, and shifts in rain patterns has been hit as a result of global warming and climate change in Pakistan.
Global warming is the result of Industrialization and transportation and the emission of GHGs. According to some recent research:
“Industries and transportation cause 80 % of global warming. The concentration of CO2 was about 280 per million (ppm) in the 18th century, but it is now more than 400 (ppm) in the atmosphere. Burning fossil fuels in industries and combustion in any other form are the main contributors to global warming.
The main contributor to climate change is an increased concentration of CO2, which is responsible for maintaining the greenhouse effect and global warming by around 11 %, escalating the earth’s normal temperature.”
Environmental Challenges Volume 15, April 2024, 100887
The emissions of greenhouse gases are reflected in the heat and heat of the earth. Due to global warming and climate change, the earth’s weather patterns are changing continuously. The earth’s average temperature has risen from 1.5 °C.
If the phenomenon continues, 2 °C will increase the earth’s temperature, and survival on the planet will become impossible. This change has become the reason for the heavy rains, melting of glaciers, heat waves, droughts, rising sea levels, etc.
Global warming is a common concern of all countries. The world is facing the threat of climate change. Climate change also impacts the water system of the globe. Water crises become the most significant problem globally.
Heatwaves significantly impact Glaciers, and a recent study shows that if global warming continues and no counters are adopted, then 68 % of glaciers will vanish. Scientists also predict that temperatures will rise and be exposed to heat waves due to increasing levels of greenhouse gases.
Pakistan and other South Asian countries are more vulnerable to climate change because of their geological positions and anthropogenic activities than other countries. Pakistan is surrounded by three high-altitude mountain ranges, from east to north and south, most of which are covered with ice caps and glaciers.
More than 7,000 glaciers are present in Pakistan. Deforestation, uncontrolled rapid urbanization, and no treatment of toxic effluents from industries due to these anthropogenic activities shift global climate patterns, which are causing severe droughts, floods, and increasing world temperature.
Since 2018, Pakistan has seen almost 150 extreme weather events. During this period, about 14 floods hit the country badly. As a consequence, Pakistan losses in the form of thousands of lives, livestock, and infrastructure. Pakistan is also exposed to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) due to the melting of glaciers at a higher pace.
More than 3,000 glacier lakes have also formed in Pakistan due to melting of glaciers since 2018. Climate change and melting glaciers in the Himalayan region of Pakistan are causing flash floods. South Asian countries, especially Pakistan, suffer from extreme climate change despite contributing less than 1% in the emission of GHGs compared to developed countries.
“According to the European Commission’s report, China, the United States, India, the EU27, Russia, and Brazil were the six primary global emitters of (GHGs) in 2022.”
In addition to the effects of climate change, food insecurity directly results from natural disasters, including heatwaves, floods, and wildfires. The recent flooding in 2022 has claimed more than 1,700 lives and cost destruction around $30 billion. These floods also destroyed Pakistan’s agriculture, the main contributor to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The agriculture sector is the central and significant pillar of the economy of Pakistan, and it provides about 37.54% of the workforce. About 4 million crops were destroyed in these floods, and 800,000 cattle were killed. This resulted in a decline in agricultural production.
As a result of this, over 7 million people suffered from food and water insecurity, and 8 million people were displaced. Over 34,204 schools were also damaged, impacting 2.2 million children across flood-affected areas.
Climate change has had a considerable effect on food insecurity in Pakistan, and the devastating flood and monsoon season in 2022 caused nearly 5.7 million people to be affected by food insecurity. Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate change-related activities, which have adverse effects on agricultural productivity and water and food availability.
Climate change contributes to reduced agricultural production, such as shifting in rainfall patterns, including irregular and unpredictable rainfall, affecting seeds and crop growth and decreasing yields.
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The 2022 floods also brought the aftermath of diseases and infection due to standing water in flood-affected areas, which caused a wave of death and destruction. Following the floods, malaria cases increased nationwide by at least four times, from 400,000 in 2021 to over 1.6 million in 2022.
The events of 2022, however, were the worst in Pakistan’s seventy-five-year history, and the main reason for the flood was climate change-induced changes in precipitation patterns, high rains and rapid melting of glaciers. Pakistan received over three times its average rainfall in the August 2022 monsoon season. The country has also been experiencing severe droughts for decades, and these events are getting longer and more frequent.
Pakistan faces critical consequences of the rising global temperature. The country’s population is 250 million, undergoing extreme weather changes and severe heat waves. Every year, rapid heat waves in the country kill hundreds of people.
In 2023, The Washington Post’s analysis declared Pakistan the epicentre of a global wave of climate health threats. Severe and extreme heat waves commonly occur in Sindh, Punjab, and Baluchistan without any counter mechanism or system.
Human and natural activities are the causes of the increasing temperature in the country and worldwide. In 2021, the highest recorded temperature in Jacobabad was 51 °C in April. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province also experienced an increase in temperature by 2 degrees Celsius in the plains and its northern areas of provinces.
Heat waves and rising temperatures also impact the production of crops because the increase in temperature reduces the growth of seeds, which become weak, resulting in shrivelled or stunted produce. Rising temperatures also create favourable conditions for the proliferation of pests, insects, and crop diseases.
Increased temperatures and changes in weather patterns impact insect and pest outbreaks timing and potency, resulting in agricultural damage and a greater need for pesticides. According to the IPCC report on global temperature, global temperatures might increase by 3 °C by 2100, and IPCC placed Pakistan in the 140th position regarding GHG emissions. GCRI ranked Pakistan as the 5th most vulnerable country to climate change.
Climate change also impacts Pakistan’s spring season, and the monsoon season has extended longer than usual. Over time, Pakistan experiences a short spring season.
Former head of Pakistan’s Met Office, Dr Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry, the author of Pakistan’s first climate strategy, said: “Warmer conditions have started to affect Pakistan much earlier than usual. The spring season is becoming shorter and shorter. It’s having a huge impact on agriculture.” Pakistan observes the spring season shortening as the temperature increases due to climate change, which impacts agricultural production.
Pakistan is also suffering from water scarcity due to overpopulation and climate change. Groundwater is the primary source of fresh water for drinking, daily use, agricultural and industrial purposes. In South Asia, Pakistan is experiencing population growth and natural disasters such as floods, drought, water scarcity, heat waves, etc.
The stress on groundwater resources is also increasing because of climate change. According to the World Bank, Pakistan is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. Groundwater demand is proliferating with the increase in population.
Pakistan became the sixth most populous country in the world, home to 250 million people. Pakistan’s water scarcity is mainly caused by rapid population growth, poor water management, water pollution, and climate change, which include floods, droughts, heat waves, etc.
Rapid growth in population, Industrialization, and urban expansion have resulted in over-pumping for daily activities and causing groundwater recharge. Floods, Droughts, heat waves and climate unpredictability have adversely affected food and water security.
On the other hand, the lack of reasonable management and policies further worsens the crisis, causing depletion of resources and environmental degradation and intensifying the challenges that society and ecosystems face.
It shows the severe water scarcity situation: Pakistan’s water availability per capita dropped from 5,260 cubic meters in 1951 to 1000 cubic meters in recent years. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Pakistan could face an absolute water scarcity by 2025.
The rapidly changing climate and melting of glaciers further exacerbate the issue, with the Indus River, the country’s primary water source for agriculture, industry, and domestic use, particularly at risk. The rivers heavily rely on the meltwater of the glaciers.
Since the 1990s, The mass of the Indus Basin glaciers has been melting at an average rate of roughly 20 cm per year. This glacial mass loss decreases the amount of water flowing into the country’s river system and impacts downstream water flow.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report shows that Over the next few decades, the flow of the Indus River will decrease by up to 40% due to glacial retreat. This decrease in the water flow further affects the irrigation system and water availability for domestic and industrial use.
The issue of water scarcity is not just an environmental issue but also a social and economic one because the unavailability of water directly impacts the financial and living standards of society.
The impacts of climate change and global warming on Pakistan are intense. The nation faces significant challenges manifested by frequent and severe rains, natural disasters such as floods, droughts, etc., weather and agricultural patterns shifts, and food and water insecurity.
Immediate action is required to mitigate the impact and effects of climate change on the country, including implementing sustainable management and policies, building infrastructure, and promoting awareness about climate change. By taking sustainable measures, Pakistan can reduce climate change risk and create a more resilient and sustainable future.
Global warming and climate change are not a national issue but a global threat. Undoubtedly, deforestation, the industrialization process, and the release of GHGs have become the reason for rising temperatures. Every country should take steps to help decrease temperature.
Not just the government but every person should take part in reducing pollution. Because trees absorb CO2 and green gasses and make a pleasant environment, planting more would be a better step to lowering the temperature. To prevent a climatic disaster, smart transport systems and switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources can solve this threat.
