THE latest World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) State of the Climate 2023 report reads like a dystopian thriller – but smashed records of GHG levels, ocean heat, and glacial melt are anything but fiction. According to the report, 2023 is the hottest year on record. The global average near-surface temperature soared to a staggering 1.45degreesCelsius above the pre-industrial baseline. Moreover, this scorching milestone capped off the warmest ten-year period ever documented.
Climate change encompasses more than just temperature shifts. The events of 2023, notably the unprecedented ocean warming and Antarctic Sea ice loss, are particularly concerning. For instance, ocean heat content reached the highest level. During an average day in 2023, almost one-third of the world’s oceans were experiencing a marine heatwave. By the year’s end, more than 90% of the ocean had encountered heatwave conditions at some stage.
Moreover, the global mean sea level hit an unprecedented high in satellite records, which began in 1993. Moreover, the rate of global mean sea level rise over the past decade (2014–2023) has more than doubled compared to the rate observed in the initial decade of satellite monitoring (1993–2002).
The result was a series of extreme events around the globe. In Asia, Tropical Cyclone Mocha wreaked havoc, notably in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar, prompting the relocation of over 29,000 Rohingya refugees. Meanwhile, in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt, 3.4 million displaced individuals faced severe winter conditions. In Somalia, drought and subsequent flooding displaced many, compounding existing challenges. Libya experienced devastating floods exacerbated by Storm Daniel, aggravating food insecurity in regions already grappling with crises.
For Pakistan, the Monsoon season has become dreadful. Rising sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean – one of the fastest warming – coupled with global warming, have heightened monsoon rainfall in South Asia. These factors resulted in catastrophic flooding in 2022 caused by significantly higher rainfall than the August average, with Sindh receiving 784% more rainfall and Balochistan receiving 500% more. In the ongoing month, heavy rains wreaked havoc in Balochistan’s coastal region, particularly affecting Gwadar.
Coastal and marine ecosystems are one of the most vulnerable due to their complex interconnections. The 1,001 km coastal belt of Pakistan offers immense socioeconomic and ecosystem services. With around 90 percent of trade dependent on the sea, the largest metropolis of Karachi situated along the coast, and millions of people dependent on fishing, mangroves, etc., any threat to the coastal and marine environment will have direct implications on the national security of the country. Tragically, being a maritime nation along the Indian Ocean makes Pakistan susceptible to sea level rise, coastal erosion, habitat degradation, and extreme metrological events such as cyclones, floods, heatwaves, droughts, etc.
Ample evidence has proven the repercussions of climate change-driven extremities, worldwide, and in Pakistan, which calls for immediate action at all levels. This urgency is encapsulated in the theme of World Meteorological Day 2024: “At the Frontline of Climate Action.” The fitting theme of the day – celebrated every year on 23 March – signifies the critical role and immediate need for collective engagement in addressing climate change.
As Pakistan repeatedly grapples with the repercussions of anthropogenic climate change, gaps persist in a proper climate response in the maritime domain. Although the National Security Policy 2022 incorporates climate change as a threat exacerbating factor, it is not categorized as a distinct national security threat, potentially overlooking its far-reaching implications. Similarly, the maritime aspect remains insufficiently addressed in key frameworks like the National Climate Change Policy 2021 and the National Adaptation Plan 2023. Regardless, all is not lost. Silver linings lie in grappling with ‘sea blindness’ by prioritizing educational reforms featuring climate concepts and raising public and stakeholder awareness about the implications of climate change on maritime activities. On the governance level, given the interconnected and interdependent nature of the maritime sub-domains, the coordination of various ministers and stakeholders can be improved by establishing a National Maritime Authority.
The promulgation of long overdue updated National Maritime Policy would further streamline coordination efforts among stakeholders on climate response. In addition, an all-encompassing National Climate Change Strategy and subsequent sectoral plans are essential. Maritime disasters differ in nature from land-origin disasters. This necessitates a National Maritime Disaster Management Authority in Pakistan, which may run in parallel with the National Disaster Management Authority, specializing in tackling maritime emergencies. In addition, a robust maritime multi-hazard early warning system, modelled after Japan’s approach be adopted. The same has been urged by the UN Secretary-General, aiming to safeguard every individual with early warning systems by 2027. On this World Meteorological Day, a united effort involving policymakers, scientists, innovators, industries, and stakeholders is crucial to confront the climate crisis with bold, transformative action.
—The writer is associated with the National
Institute of Maritime Affairs. The views expressed are his own.
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