Climate change and its effect on Pakistan

Pakistan has been struggling for decades to manage crises from infrastructure issues to rooted corruption to rampant terrorism. While our department and authorities try to get a handle on the above mentioned issues a silent threat looms in the shadows, climate change! Pakistan contributes very little to the overall Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, but remains at a growing threat of climate change disasters:

• Glacier melt in the Himalayas is projected to increase flooding will affect water resources within the next two to three decades. This will be followed by decreased river flows over time as glaciers recede.
• Freshwater availability is also projected to decrease which will lead to biodiversity loss and reduce availability of freshwater for the population.
• Coastal areas bordering the Arabian Sea in the south of Pakistan will be at greatest risk due to increased flooding from the sea and in some cases, the rivers.
• Being a predominantly agriculture economy, climate change is estimated to decrease crop yields in Pakistan which in turn will affect livelihoods and food production. Combining the decreased yields with the current rapid population growth and urbanization in the country, the risk of hunger and food security will remain high.
• Endemic morbidity and mortality due to diseases primarily associated with floods and droughts are expected to rise. Increases in coastal water temperatures would exacerbate the abundance of cholera.
• The impact of climate change will also aggravate the existing social inequalities of resource use and intensify social factors leading to instability, conflicts, displacement of people and changes in migration patterns.