Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman Wednesday said the Monsoon season’s rain pattern was shifting in Pakistan at a drastic pace causing abnormal and unprecedented rains.
In an interaction with media, she shared that the Ministry of Climate Change briefed the Federal Cabinet on the vulnerability of the country due to climate change that the entire forum unanimously agreed with.
Sherry said the country had to focus on climate adaptation amid its growing vulnerabilities and threats due to environmental degradation as the country was facing 300% increase in glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), heatwaves spiking up over 41 degree Celsius and growing pollution in the urban areas.
The minister underlined that the recent monsoon rains caused some 639 deaths and injured 1,016 this season since June.
She added that the country for the past three years was hosting the most hottest cities in the world namely Dadu, Turbat and Jaccobabad.
She underlined that the climate change induced disasters were causing 9.1% of the country’s GDP which was the highest among the nations suffering due to environmental degradation.
The country had to seriously look into its rising population as the water usage was the fourth highest in the world and the United Nations had already warned the country to become water scarce by 2025 due to serious pressure on its water resources, she added.
Sherry mentioned that the 70% of freshwater was coming from the glaciers that were melting at an unprecedented rate.Arguing the reliance of previous regimes on large dams, the minister said the world was shifting over the construction of small dams whereas the nation had been unable to build any mega dams due to economic constraints.
“We should come up with clear targets to build smalls dams that will harness disaster mitigation measures, enhance water conservation and rainwater harvesting infrastructures,” she added.
