Zubair Qureshi
With contesting priorities amidst worsening climate crisis, it is becoming increasingly challenging to address food security, which has transcended into a human security challenge
SDPI Executive Director Abid Qaiyum Suleri said this while addressing a seminar titled, “Climate Change and Impacts on National Security of Pakistan.”
He said that climate change was threatening Pakistan’s national, socio-economic and macro-economic stability with the country ranking 14th for economic and 25th for economic losses per unit GDP globally.
Ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel, Chairperson SDPI Board of Governors, said that Indus Water Treaty had delivered well on the agenda of water security and avoided water-driven conflicts between India and Pakistan. While India has constructed several power projects on Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, the permitted water capacity has not been availed yet, he highlighted.
As climate change exacerbates water insecurity and diplomatic efforts stalled, threat of water-driven conflict looms and seek the intervention of Asian Development Bank and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development for multi-crisis diplomacy and peaceful resolution of crisis.
Ambassador Nadeem Riyaz, President of Institute of Regional Studies, emphasized leveraging dialogues, working groups, water sharing data, regulatory treaties and think-tank collaboration while diplomacy is difficult between India and Pakistan.
He said that without political will and diplomacy there is no permanent and effective solution to the crisis.
Ali Tauqeer Shiekh, Climate Change Specialist, said that without multilateral diplomacy, there is no effective solution to the water crisis irrespective of national water management efforts.
He added that climate issues must be delinked otherwise they will continue to be held hostage of security and border issues between the two countries.
Khan, Executive Director, Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change (CSCCC), called for adoption of three focal lens for national security aligning food, water and population considerations, shift to regenerative agriculture and implement research backed agriculture practices. She highlighted thar alarming levels of stunting and wasting is an emerging threat for development.
