Inspite of 30,000 megawatt power potential, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was prone to desertification and drought due to climate change’s challenges and fast completion of under construction power projects which are imperative for sustainable economic growth and agricultural development.
While traveling on Peshawar-Islambad Motorway and Indus Highway in southren districts of KP, a visitor would be disappointed to see thousands acres of barren lands at Mardan, Swabi, Kohat, Bannu, Karak, DIKhan and Lakki Marwat which was eaten by the desertification, drought and land degradation.
Dr Zilakat Malik, Ex Chairman Economics Department, University of Peshawar told APP that Pakistan was among 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change and desertification and if these challenges were not tackled on priority basis the country may face hunger-like situation after a few decades due to rapid population growth.
“The dry-lands of Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab are facing increased problems of desertification due to climate change impacts, improper land use practices, over-grazing, deforestation and excessive removal of vegetation for fuel.” He said Pakistan was heading towards a situation of water shortage and food insecurity due to fast melting of glaciers, poor investment in agriculture, flooding, rapid population growth and water loss. National Water Policy 2018 has revealed that the per capita surface water availability had declined from 5,260 cubic meters per year in 1951 to around 1,000 cubic meters in 2016 and this quantity was likely to further drop to about 860.—APP
