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Pakistan is the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change despite contributing less than 1% of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The country has been experiencing disaster events like droughts, flash floods, and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) almost annually over the past few decades.
A dditionally, Pakistan is impacted by environmental challenges like deforestation, mining, unsustainable tourism, rapid urban development, etc. And climate change has a compounding effect on the negative impacts of these challenges. For instance, low- income families reside in areas closer to river embankments, with relatively low land value. In the case of flash floods, these families are at a higher risk of losing their livelihoods, houses, and often lives. Similarly, flash floods destroy families' crops, where agriculture is their primary source of income.
The solution to the complex challenge of climate change is not linear. If Pakistan starts building its capacity to adapt to climate change from policy to the community level, this issue will persist as long as other countries emit carbon. This challenge requires action from the ground level, with communities adapting to climate change, all the way to the international level, with global leaders committing to mitigate carbon emissions.
However, while advocating for climate mitigation and ensuring financing for loss and damage at UN forums like COP29, Pakistan needs to bring policy shifts and build urgent resilience and adaptation capacity to climate change. Here are four ways how:
1. Institutional capacity on installation and usage of Early Warning Systems Early Warning Systems (EWS) are the first line of defense against a climate disaster. If communities become aware of a disaster in time, they can be better prepared to relocate to a safe location. Climate disasters like GLOFs in the north of Pakistan or tsunamis in the south lead to the loss of cultural heritage, ancestral homes, and crops, but EWS can mitigate losses of lives, livestock, and livelihoods. Building capacity for installing and using EWS and disaster drills is essential for building climate resilience.
2. Agriculture insurance and disaster-resilient crops Since Pakistan is an agrarian economy, the impacts of climate change and climate-induced disasters are immediately felt by farmers producing our food. Uneven rainfall patterns and intense heat waves lead to crop damage. Local farmers, at their initiative and out of necessity, are selecting resilient crops, but more active research can be done in this area. Moreover, when a farmer loses their crop in a climate disaster, they lose everything, as agriculture is their primary source of income. Having crop insurance can build the resilience of farmers, who often have no choice but to move to urban centers to find seasonal work after bearing losses.
3. Awareness of the climate and environmental challenges as part of the education system The education system at every level should include a curriculum on Pakistan's climate and environmental challenges. This awareness in students can build capacity and long-term thinking on solutions to climate change and environmental issues for years to come. Just as students are taught about planetary systems and geography, chapters should also focus on the geological changes in the Earth’s climate and environmental degradation like deforestation, mining, and damage to ecosystems and biodiversity. This will lead young students, who are potentially the future leaders of Pakistan, to have a sense of ownership and stewardship towards our natural habitats.
4. Shifting towards clean and green energy While adaptation is necessary for sustainable development, it is also essential for Pakistan to shift towards clean and green energy. With several leading economies making efforts to move away from fossil fuels and introduce innovative approaches to clean and green energy, it is essential that Pakistan also introduce this as a key policy change. Not only does this lead to climate mitigation, but green energy can open doors for private-sector financing while creating green jobs for the country’s bulging youth population.
The challenge of climate change is complex and interconnected with environmental and socio-economic issues. Climate change worsens existing inequalities, where the most
vulnerable communities are hit the hardest by climate disasters. Therefore, no single solution will solve this issue. Instead, the problem needs to be understood from a holistic view, and adaptation and mitigation efforts should introduce parallel solutions.
