Carbon emissions and agri sector

Never before was the need for drastically reducing carbon emissions so urgent given to save the world from the grave consequences of climate change due to increasing global warming. Like most of the world, Pakistan too is facing adverse impacts of the uncontrolled greenhouse emissions, with the agriculture sector — mainly cotton cultivation and livestock rearing — bearing the brunt. The textile and leather industries are badly hit by this situation. The two sectors provide livelihood to more than 15 million families and have a significant role in keeping the economic engine going. Unfortunately, the cotton and leather output has been falling over the years due to the effects of climate change in the form of declining availability of freshwater, the ever-rising temperature and abrupt changes in rainfall patterns, and also because of official neglect of the cotton sector. All this is affecting the supply of raw materials to the textile and leather industries resulting in decreasing incomes for cotton and cattle farmers, leading them to give up growing cotton and rearing cattle.

This situation has regularly been attracting the attention of the WWF. Speaking at an event, officials of the WWF-Pakistan have expressed concern about the prevailing situation in Pakistan, saying the recent urban flooding in Islamabad and heavy rains in riverine areas of Sindh have increased the mortality rate of animals badly affecting the leather industry. Freak weather events have resulted in declining output of the two raw materials. Steps are being taken to combat the impact of climate change. The WWF and the ILO have jointly undertaken a project in Pakistan to help the afore-mentioned industries in environmentally-sustainable production, and they will also assist the 500-plus textile and leather industries in capacity-building. As a result of the WWF’s efforts, 21 SMEs of the two sectors have reduced their annual emissions, consumption of energy and freshwater considerably. If the positive response continues, it will also expand the country’s exports, thereby increasing job opportunities.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7^th, 2021.

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