Climate security for survival

Due to Pakistan’s consistency with political turmoil for decades, we have been ignoring one of the biggest threats to humanity — climate change. In a country already victimised by political and economic instability, climate change is a phenomenon that can no longer be neglected. Located in the heart of South Asia, the region which is most vulnerable to climate change — Pakistan is ranked 7^th-most vulnerable country to climate change in the world. Have we seen any ground-breaking work on climate security in Pakistan? The answer is no.

With the general elections coming up this year, the issue of climate change will be sidelined again. For the local masses asking the government to prioritise public funds for basic necessities is understandable, but at the same time it undermines the threat of climate change significantly. Pakistan’s biggest problem isn’t political violence or terrorism, it is climate change.

The rise in air pollution, the sign of drought throughout the whole nation, the disturbance in weather conditions, are all clear indications of climate change. The country’s emissions are expected to increase from 405 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide to over 1,603 metric tonnes in the next 15 years. Moreover, 2017 broke all temperature records as Turbat experienced 54^oC on May 28, 2017, which has also been listed as the hottest temperature ever recorded in Asia!

Not to forget, the famous Hanna Lake of Balochistan has completely dried up. It is disturbing that this development is not national news. This is a start of many developments to occur in the future as climate change is expected to strike hard in Pakistan. From Kashmir to Karachi, the effects of climate change will paralyse the whole country if we do not act now.

Looking at the bigger picture, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology report last year indicated that if climate change continues at its pace, deadly heatwaves beginning in the next few decades will strike parts of South Asia. Environmentalists believe that South Asia could become uninhabitable by 2100. This immediately became international headlines and an alarm bell for not only South Asia, but the rest of the world too. Unfortunately, neither did the government or the ministry of climate change in Pakistan take any sort of action. It was shocking to see how our government ignored one of the biggest security challenges in the world.

What is more shocking is that the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency failed to publish annual environmental reports for the last decade! The agency has been unable to take action against environment violators. But how could one expect the government to take action against environment violators when it finds itself surrounded by controversy? Worst of all this, the ministry of climate change never engaged with the ministry to ask questions and take action as per standard operating procedures.

In a country where our economy is already in a shambles and on the path of further deterioration, climate change could lead to record-breaking losses for our economy. It is crucial to highlight that the floods of 2010, 2011 and 2012 cost the economy a staggering $16 billion. This year again, threats of natural hazards with even higher intensity are likely to take place. But nowhere have we seen the federal government working to prevent horrendous implications. Our country runs on an agrarian economy. It is worthwhile to mention that our agriculture sector was responsible for 53% of the total GDP. By 1980 to 1981, this number had dropped to 31%. But alarmingly in recent years, it has fallen even further to 21.4%. The harsh climatic conditions from Sindh to K-P are already a story of despair. With the downward economic trajectory, climate change will make life more miserable for every citizen of Pakistan.

To fully address the alarming threat of climate change, we all must demand action from our leaders to support and therefore implement a comprehensive set of climate solutions. There is an urgent need to initiate real mechanisms to monitor climate change and its effects as we have limited ourselves from modern day technology. More research is necessary to better understand how climate change influences our country’s ecosystem. Last year, former minister for climate change Zahid Hamid admitted that the government did not have any real-time mechanism to monitor air pollution. Every year, more than 60,000 people die due to air pollution in Pakistan. Countless numbers of people are left with respiratory diseases for a lifetime. The Lahore/Delhi smog incident should be taken seriously to prevent any damage for the future. By protecting forests, we can significantly lower carbon emissions in our atmosphere. We need to understand the driving forces behind deforestation today and raise awareness on why reducing deforestation must be a priority.

The year 2018 will turn out to be decisive. Pakistan should expect real hardships to follow, but then again it is a global phenomenon. Several countries have moved towards green energy. Now is the time to formulate a fresh strategic policy, to promote green energy and minimise carbon emissions, which harm our environment. What we should really focus on is to unite, to fight against climate change for a better future, where coming generations would follow the same route and save Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2018.

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