CLIMATE change is real and is already affecting human beings. There is no space for climate change deniers. The effects of climate change can be mitigated in Pakistan if the state and society work together to create awareness about the seriousness of the threat posed by climate change, and if the state comes up with actionable policies and stringent mechanisms for its implementation. This article argues that most parts of Pakistan are liveable, but the whole country could become unliveable if no action is taken today. So, it is imperative that Pakistanis, as a nation, stand up and be counted today if they want to save their future generations from climate-induced devastations.
Climate change is one of the most pressing global challenges faced by today’s human beings. Every country is vulnerable to the vagaries of climate change, and so is Pakistan. Continual flooding in Pakistan is a stark reminder that it is on the verge of the climate-induced preci-pice. Nevertheless, the effects of climate change can be mitigated through prioritizing the challenge of climate change and putting far-reaching reforms in place, followed by serious action. It is also a fact that Pakistan is one of the countries most affected by climate change, despite its minimal contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions.
The root cause of climate change is carbon emissions. It is related to the level of industriali-zation— the more industrialized (developed) a state is, the more it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. The increasing burning of fossil fuels by industrialized states has polluted the environment and raised temperatures, resulting in devastating impacts worldwide. Pakistan, one of the least contributors to global warming, is pushed into a dangerous position, jeopard-izing economic growth and threatening the survival of its people. As pointed out earlier, Pakistan has faced devastating floods, as well as other detrimental effects of climate change, including droughts, heavy and prolonged rains, cloudbursts, flash floods, heat-waves, wild-fires, catastrophic storms, tsunamis, cyclones, and droughts. Hence, Pakistan is ranked among the ten most vulnerable countries to climate change.
What can Pakistan do to mitigate the impact of climate change? The United Nations Confer-ence on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Social Protection Resource Centre (SPRC) organized a conference on the theme of green industrialization in Pakistan, focusing on integrated policy options for a sustainable future. Pakistan is taking measures to lessen its dependence on non-renewable sources of energy such as coal and to focus on renewable en-ergy sources such as solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal power. The Bahawalpur Quaid-e-Azam Solar and the National Electric Vehicles Policy (NEVP) are two such policy steps taken by Pakistan. Moreover, advancing green industrialization along with the use of renewable energy sources will provide Pakistan with a better alternative to coal.
Furthermore, initiatives such as tree plantation in both urban and rural areas are necessary to make Pakistan greener and safer. Tree plantation and reforestation are essential environmental initiatives to combat deforestation, promote biodiversity, capture carbon dioxide, and maintain ecological balance. These efforts contribute to improving air and water quality, mitigating climate change, and providing habitats for various species.
The government should allocate a significant amount of investment for climate change miti-gation and adaptation measures, rather than relying on foreign loans to fill the climate finance gaps.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) should prioritize and focus on pre-assessment risk rather than post-assessment risk. Pre-assessment risks are more crucial than post-assessment risks in terms of mitigating climate-induced disasters. So, Pakistan needs to formulate policies whose implementation, in collaboration with international environmental bodies, makes it greener, safer, sustainable, and prosperous.
The Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) provide an actionable blueprint for achieving Pakistan’s development goals alongside environmentally friendly policies. Its rec-ommendations include efforts to achieve further economic growth and lower poverty rates, on the one hand, and the pursuit of a climate-resilient, low-carbon, and equitable development path, on the other.
In a nutshell, it is imperative to mitigate the effects of climate change to not only make Paki-stan a liveable country but also to make it a role model for other nations. For that to happen, a strong commitment to collective actions and innovative solutions is key to success. Reforms such as putting in place mechanisms whereby Pakistan can make a smooth and effective tran-sition to renewable energy sources and implementing environmentally friendly policies.
The path to a liveable country, therefore, lies in our commitment to make climate change the cen-tre of our policies; the state needs to assign adequate funds for the implementation of those policies; and to make it a joint venture of both state and society as our future is at stake. Inac-tion today is tantamount to inviting environmental catastrophe in the future. The sooner Paki-stanis realize this, the better.
—The writer is a contributing columnist, based in mardan
Email: [email protected]
views expressed are writer’s own.
