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PREPARING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE CATASTROPHE IN PAKISTAN

 

Our RecommendationGovernment needs to take serious actions and implement short and long term plans to avoid climate change catastrophe.

 

Explanation

The majority of the people in Pakistan (about 65%) including shepherds in Baluchistan, farmers in Punjab and fishermen from Sindh depend on the environment for their livelihood. Some experts say that the effects of climate change could cost Pakistan’s economy up to $14 billion a year and need to be urgently dealt with (see the articles below). More than 35% of Pakistan’s population already lives below the poverty line. This means they do not have enough to eat. These people and many more will simply not survive if an urgent plan is not implemented to tackle the climate change problem.


Pakistan is among the countries that will be affected the most by climate change. In 2010, Pakistan was listed as the number 1 country in the world affected by climate related disasters by the Global Climate Risk Index produced by Germanwatch. This is not only a major problem for Pakistan but for the entire South Asia where over one billion people will be affected by climate change.


Climate change will affect Pakistan in three ways: (1) by unusual droughts and floods; (2) by salinization of the lands in coastal areas; and (3) by decreasing yields of our crops.


It is estimated that there will be an absolute decline in yields by 30%. This decline will result in a famine that the world has never seen. Even if governments in South Asia have money to buy the food, the world will not be able to provide the amount of food needed to feed people in South Asia.


To tackle the problem of climate change, Pakistan must:
(1) Re-think about its national security. Pakistan must stop spending too much on defense and Pakistan and India must cooperate to solve the serious crises South Asia is facing because of climate change.
(2) Re-think about economic growth. Growth must be used to eradicate poverty; it is useless if it increases inequality.


While South Asia and the world are facing the biggest threat to its survival ever because of climate change, this is also the time when the center of global economy is shifting from the West to this part of the world. By 2030, China is expected to become the largest economy in the world and India is expected to become the 3rd largest economy. If there is an economic union in South Asia, this region will become the 2nd largest economy in the world. What this means is that China and South Asia have a real potential to become the greatest economic powerhouse in human history (see Dr. Akmal Hussain’s presentation below).


It is really now up to the people of Pakistan if they want to become a part of the greatest economy in human history by focusing on peace and cooperating with India or choose to live in the most miserable conditions they are currently heading toward.

 

References

1) Must-watch presentation by Dr. Akmal Hussain on Climate Change (28 minutes): Part 1, Part 2


2) Pakistan's Dangerous Negligence of Climate Change


3) A Real Threat