Pakistan has a history of compounding its own problems through self-defeating approaches. Instead of resolving the issues sagaciously, the leadership in the country immerses itself in lengthy yet confusing policies.
The recently revealed budget elucidates this exact contradictory outlook of the government in dealing with ongoing challenges. For instance, despite declaring climate adaptation as the topmost priority for the country, the budget reflects confusion, underfunding and policy paradoxes. Instead of focusing on the urgently required area, the government has allocated a minimal Rs85 billion to adaptation while a hefty amount of Rs603 billion has been pooled for mitigation.
The adaptation areas range from essential interventions in physical infrastructure and ecosystems to human health and livelihood. The examples include agriculture revival, coastal zones maintenance, water resources management, disaster risk reduction and resilient urban development. These corrective measures will require Rs85 billion according to government. Whereas the mitigation plan, which has received Rs603 billion, is largely centred around energy sector subsidies and phasing off fossil fuel-run power projects, while we have already achieved our SDG goal 13 on climate action.
The disproportionate funds are unjustifiable. Such a policy dilemma reflects the dark reality of visionless leadership in the centre. Therefore, it is high time that the policies are prioritised accordingly with a view to translating a transient advantage into a long-term gain and being able to cope with transnational crises like climate change.
Asghar Ali Jagirani
Larkana
