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Pakistan Must Adapt to Climate Change. But Who Will Help Us?

A $30 Billion Disaster Is Just the Tip of a Deadly Climate Cycle

T he record-breaking mega-flood in August 2022 that impacted 33 million people in Pakistan brought home to the world the urgency and scale of the climate crisis afflicting developing countries. At the 27th United Nations Climate Change conference (COP 27), it triggered widespread worry among other countries about the state of preparedness many will have to gear up to—even if, like Pakistan, they remain negligible emitters of the greenhouse gases. In 2022, Pakistan’s pavilion at Sharm-al-Shaikh positioned not just the global connectedness of the crisis by pointing out that “what goes on in Pakistan will not stay in Pakistan,” it also became the hub of the climate finance deficits that are growing exponentially in inverse proportion to global emissions. This has led, in part, to the creation of the Loss and Damage (L&D) fund at the end of the conference.

Yet as G20’s energy ministers remained unable to agree on a roadmap to reduce emissions by July 2023 (even as COP28 approaches) the realization set in that many of us will remain in the frontline of the burn. Pakistan has been home for three successive years where on at least one day temperatures reached 53°C (127.4°F). The hope that we were working with needed a home-grown plan. As heatwaves coupled with slow global action transformed the earth into a red planet in the summer of 2023, Pakistan launched a National Adaptation Plan in July to chart a strategic whole-of government approach with a framework toolkit that allows it to protect its population.

For instance, the province of Sindh, which to this day stands transformed by the 2022 deluge, and recently saw evacuations in the coastal areas from cyclonic activity in a warming Arabian Sea, began its rehabilitation process by transferring new land titles to the women of afflicted households. In all such crises, the most vulnerable always remain the poorest, the women and children, impacted disproportionately by multiple crises of food insecurity, displacement, and disease.

That said, while Sindh is struggling to cope with a cascade of disasters, it will need not just the National Adaptation Plan, but the resources to transform municipal, rural, and agri-water governance for the dangerous decade ahead—all of which needs time, capacity, and liquidity. Similarly, the province of Balochistan has already declared a flood emergency, while the northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is impacted too by a gathering storm.

Read More: ‘I Lost My Son in This Water a Few Days Ago.’ Photos of Pakistan’s Catastrophic Flooding

For countries drowning in extreme weather, exogenous shocks, and high public debt, where will this money come from? Especially in the amount that the World Bank in its 2022 Country Climate and Development Report calculated for Pakistan: a staggering $348 billion by 2030. This is just the number to stay resilient—to keep our heads above water and build sustainability into a climate-adaptive future. All this while a summer of fresh flooding and melting glaciers redefines our lives, our social and economic experiences, into a lifelong struggle to rebuild with resilience while we fight the climate devastations wreaking havoc again.

Who is coming to the rescue of such countries? While U.N. has been in the frontline of immediate relief, even its flash appeals globally remain under-funded. Structural reforms involve pain. We are willing to undergo more pain, especially for enabling resilience, but some amount of change has to come from the Bretton Woods system—the monetary management structure that controls the U.S., Canada, Australia, Western Europe, and Japan—meant to lead the world out of egregious inequality and now climate distress. The financing gap to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries has enlarged from $2.5 trillion in 2019 to $4.2 trillion in 2023. Add to it the cost of realizing climate goals, and the amount reaches a whopping $5.2 trillion annually .

Our National Adaption Plan (NAP) is designed to build climate-adaptation goals into every aspect of development planning. The international financial system must do the same. As we approach COP 28, the Global Goal on Adaptation remains under-capitalized, while the L&D fund is yet to start functioning. The U.N. Secretary General António Guterres made detailed recommendations in a press conference on July 27 that countries must operationalize and scale up the funding of renewables. Donor countries have been bilaterally supportive but they too need to fulfill their commitment to provide 0.7% of their Gross National Income as development assistance. Multilateral Development Banks should be recapitalized and be enabled to provide portfolio and budgetary support to developing countries, rather than project finance only. They should vastly expand grant and concessional lending to developing countries, enhance the vote and the voice of the developing countries in both International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, and link the distribution of new IMF SDRs to development and climate goals.

The transition to a sustainable global economy will require an investment of around $1.5 trillion each year in the developing countries. Business as usual will certainly not work. A large part of this funding pool will have to come from the private sector, which will need new structural incentives to bring their leverage and capital to the business of bending development history. Vulnerable countries cannot attract investment in times of epochal climate distress, but they do need more than band-aid financing. We now need transformational milestones to building global consensus for a financing architecture that can face the 21st century’s rapidly changing conditions that challenge resilience while fueling crippling inequalities.

Critical assistance for the most climate vulnerable countries must not further burden the poor. Actions will be as important as pledges and plans at this point. A real message of change from global leaders would contribute substantially to the success of the forthcoming SDG Summit in September and COP28 in December, and restore trust in global cooperation and international solidarity. Our people are looking to us with renewed hope for action. We must not fail them.

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Beyond COP: Pakistan's evolving role in a global climate context

Article sidebar, main article content.

The global community has diligently pursued the ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement 1 to address climate change. The upcoming 28 th Conference of the Parties (COP) underscores the urgency of dealing with the climate crisis. 2

Pakistan, with its decades-long experience in facing tangible effects like floods and droughts, is in a critical position. These natural disasters pose significant challenges to the country's environmental resilience and sustainability. 3-5 Pakistan's vulnerability to climate change is evident, as emphasized by the increased frequency and severity of natural disasters. Alarmingly, Pakistan is globally ranked 8 th in vulnerability to climate change impacts 6 and holds the 23 rd position in the Inform Risk Index, signifying high disaster risk among 191 countries. 7 It highlights the crucial need for proactive and concerted efforts to address the unfolding climate crisis.

Despite multifaceted limitations, Pakistan has the potential to contribute significantly. Limited financial resources hinder large-scale climate initiatives due to economic constraints. 8 Simultaneously, the adoption of eco-friendly practices faces challenges due to obstacles arising from infrastructure gaps and technological constraints. 9 Nevertheless, Pakistan's meaningful involvement in global climate solutions remains vital. The nation's distinctive perspectives, creative innovations, and steadfast commitment are invaluable assets in enriching the global effort against climate change.

Pakistan initiated its National Climate Change Policy in 2012, 10 later refining it in 2021 for more effective addressing of ongoing climate challenges. 11 Adopting a multidimensional approach, the policy emphasizes community-based initiatives and sustainable agricultural practices to enhance resilience. It also prioritizes mitigation and adaptation strategies, promotes renewable energy, and encourages international collaboration to address the evolving climate crisis. 11

In response to urgent climate challenges, Pakistan employs a comprehensive strategy involving various approaches, from nature-based solutions to technology-driven interventions. 12 The country is committed to a renewable energy transition, accelerating the adoption of solar and wind power to reduce carbon emissions. Initiatives like the 'Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme' and the Prime Minister’s 'Urban Forest Project' reflect Pakistan's dedication to large-scale afforestation and sustainable urban development.

The 'Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme' aims to capture 148.76 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in the next decade. The financing for this initiative comes from domestic sources, amounting to an estimated expense of $800 million. 12 This reflects Pakistan's commitment to addressing environmental concerns using indigenous resources.

Despite facing challenges with a vulnerable water infrastructure leading to substantial water loss, Pakistan is implementing initiatives for water management and conservation. The "decade of dams," as designated by the ‘Water and Power Development Authority’ (WAPDA), involves constructing five dams. These include ongoing projects like ‘Diamer-Bhasha Dam’ and ‘Mohmand Dam’, along with three hydropower projects and one canal & water supply project. This comprehensive plan, set to be implemented between 2023 and 2029, aims to elevate water storage by over 24 million acre-feet. 13 The success of these endeavors would significantly contribute to addressing water-related challenges in the country.

Adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices, including innovative technologies and management changes, is already underway, aiming to enhance resilience and sustainability. 14 Securing diverse financing, implementing pro-poor policies, and empowering institutions are vital for the transformative impact of climate-smart agriculture. Additionally, investing in research for climate-resistant crops contributes to addressing local and global climate challenges.

Urban planning integrates green spaces and energy-efficient infrastructure for climate-resilient cities. Community-based adaptation strategies acknowledge local vulnerabilities and traditional knowledge. Robust educational programs are implemented to promote public awareness. These programs also encourage the adoption of sustainable practices.

Pakistan actively pursues international collaboration, leveraging partnerships for knowledge sharing and technology transfer. 15,16 Green finance mechanisms drive investments into sustainable projects, and waste management initiatives minimize environmental impact. Climate-resilient infrastructure is designed to withstand extreme weather events, reflecting Pakistan's commitment to navigating climate change with determination. 17

Regional collaboration is crucial for addressing shared climate challenges. The emphasis lies on collaboration between Pakistan and other ‘South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation’ (SAARC) nations, with particular attention to neighboring countries, especially India. Regrettably, the SAARC action plan on climate change, 18 adopted at the SAARC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change in Dhaka, has not been fully implemented. Strengthened collaboration within the SAARC framework can serve as a positive model for transboundary action, creating global impact in addressing climate change.

In summary, Pakistan is at the forefront of global climate action, spearheading initiatives such as the ‘Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme’ and the Prime Minister’s ‘Urban Forest Project.’ Despite challenges, the nation's commitment to sustainability is evident in its comprehensive approach, including local initiatives, sustainable agriculture, and international collaboration. With a focus on resilience and innovative solutions, Pakistan can emerge as a crucial player in shaping a greener and more sustainable world.

Article Details

Work published in KMUJ is licensed under a

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic License .

Akhtar Sherin, Department of Medicine, Khyber Medical University Institute of Medical Sciences (KMU-IMS), Kohat

1: United Nations Climate Change. The Paris Agreement. Accessed on: September 28, 2023. Available from URL: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement

2: United Nations Climate Change Conference. COP28 UAE Thematic Program. Accessed on: September 28, 2023. Available from URL: https://www.cop28.com/en/thematic-program

3: United Nations Development Programme. Pakistan engulfed by worst floods in decades. September 03, 2022. Accessed on: September 28, 2023. Available from URL: https://undp-pakistan.exposure.co/pakistan-engulfed-by-worst-floods-in-decades

4: United Nations Development Programme. Pakistan: Flood Damages and Economic Losses Over USD 30 billion and Reconstruction Needs Over USD 16 billion. October 27, 2022. Accessed on: September 15, 2023. Available from URL: https://www.undp.org/pakistan/press-releases/pdna-pakistan-floods

5:The World Bank Group. Pakistan country climate and development report 2022. Accessed on: September 28, 2023. Available from URL: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/2d1af64a-8d35-5946-a047-17dc143797ad/content

6:Eckstein D, Kunzel V, Schafer L. Global climate risk index 2021. Germanwatch. Berlin. 2021. Accessed on: September 28, 2023. Available from URL: https://www.germanwatch.org/sites/default/files/Global%20Climate%20Risk%20Index%202021_2.pdf

7: DRMKC - Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Centre. INFORM Risk. Country Risk Profile. European Commission. Accessed on: September 25, 2023. Available from URL: https://drmkc.jrc.ec.europa.eu/inform-index/INFORM-Risk/Country-Risk-Profile

8: Chaudhry QUZ. Climate change profile of Pakistan. 2017. Asian Development Bank. Philippines. http://dx.doi.org/10.22617/TCS178761 Accessed on: September 15, 2023. Available from URL: https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/357876/climate-change-profile-pakistan.pdf

9: Saddique N, Jehanzaib M, Sarwar A, Ahmed E, Muzammil M, Khan MI, et al. A Systematic Review on Farmers’ Adaptation Strategies in Pakistan toward Climate Change. Atmosphere 2022;13(8):1280. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13081280

10: Government of Pakistan. Ministry of Climate Change. National climate change policy. September 2012. Accessed on: September 15, 2023. Available from URL: http://www.gcisc.org.pk/National_Climate_Change_Policy_2012.pdf

11: Government of Pakistan. Ministry of Climate Change. National Climate Change Policy. Islamabad Pakistan. October 2021. Accessed on: September 15, 2023. Available from URL: https://mocc.gov.pk/SiteImage/Policy/NCCP%20Report.pdf

12: Government of Pakistan. Pakistan: updated nationally determined contributions 2021. Accessed on: September 20, 2023. Available from URL: https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/NDC/2022-06/Pakistan%20Updated%20NDC%202021.pdf

13: Nisar N. The Bleak State of Water Conservation in Pakistan. Centre for Strategic and Contemporary Research. May 30, 2022. Accessed on: September 20, 2023. Available from URL: https://cscr.pk/explore/themes/energy-environment/the-bleak-state-of-water-conservation-in-pakistan/

14: CIAT; World Bank. 2017. Climate-Smart Agriculture in Pakistan. CSA Country Profiles for Asia Series. International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT); The World Bank. Washington, D.C. 28 p. Accessed on: September 22, 2023. Available from URL: https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/2019-06/CSA-in-Pakistan.pdf

15: ADB Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund City Resilience Profiles: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines, & Viet Nam. Accessed on: September 22, 2023. Available from URL: https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/project-documents/48317/48317-003-tacr-en.pdf

16: Environmental Protection Agency, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Forestry, Environment & Wildlife Department. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa climate change policy. June 2016. Accessed on: September 15, 2023. Available from URL: https://kp.gov.pk/uploads/2016/11/Final_Climate_Change_Policy_for_KP_Province_25_October,_2016_WebSec_Comments.pdf

17: United Nations Development Programme. Climate change adaptation. Scaling Up of Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Risk Reduction in Northern Pakistan. Accessed on: September 15, 2023. Available from URL: https://www.adaptation-undp.org/projects/scaling-glacial-lake-outburst-flood-risk-reduction-northern-pakistan

18: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). SAARC action plan on climate change. Accessed on: September 15, 2023. Available from URL: https://www.saarc-sec.org/images/areas-of-cooperation/ENB/SAARC%20ACTION%20PLAN%20ON%20CLIMATE%20CHANGE.docx#:~:text=The%20action%20plan%20would%20seek,of%20technology%20and%20knowledge%20transfer

Pakistan’s Most Terrifying Adversary Is Climate Change

The country debates women’s honor inexhaustibly but pays little attention to the ferocious and imminent dangers of climate disasters.

By Fatima Bhutto

Ms. Bhutto is the author of the novel “The Runaways.”

Karachi is home. My bustling, chaotic city of about 20 million people on the Arabian Sea is an ethnically and religiously diverse metropolis and the commercial capital of Pakistan, generating more than half of the country’s revenue.

Over the decades, Karachi has survived violent sectarian strife , political violence between warring groups claiming the city and terrorism. Karachi has survived its gangsters sparring with rocket launchers; its police force , more feared than common criminals; its rulers and bureaucrats committed to rapacious, bottomless corruption . Now Karachi faces its most terrifying adversary: climate change.

In August, Karachi’s stifling summer heat was heavy and pregnant. The sapodilla trees and frangipani leaves were lush and green; the Arabian Sea, quiet and distant, had grown muddy. When the palm fronds started to sway, slowly, the city knew the winds had picked up and rain would follow. Every year the monsoons come — angrier and wilder — lashing the unprepared city. Studies show that climate change is causing monsoons to be more intense and less predictable, and cover larger areas of land for longer periods of time.

On Aug. 27, Karachi received nearly nine inches of monsoon rain , the highest amount of rainfall ever in a single day. Nineteen inches of rain fell in August, according to the meteorological officials. It is enough to drown a city that has no functioning drainage, no emergency systems and no reliable health care (except for those who can pay). Thousands of homes and settlements of the poor were subsumed and destroyed , and more than 100 people were killed.

A traders association estimated that the submerging of markets and warehouses damaged goods worth 25 billion Pakistani rupees, or about $150 million. Local papers estimated that with Karachi at a standstill for a week, in some congested areas for longer, Pakistan’s gross domestic product suffered daily losses of $449 million — a number that didn’t include the enormous informal economy. The World Bank estimates that 15 percent of gross domestic product of the Sindh province (Karachi is its capital) is lost every year to environmental damage and climate change.

Pakistan is the fifth most climate vulnerable nation in the world. Between 1998 and 2018, according to the Global Climate Risk Index, the country is estimated to have lost nearly 10,000 lives to climate-related disasters and suffered losses amounting to about $4 billion from 152 extreme weather events in that period. Analysts have estimated Pakistan’s climate migrants over the past decade at around 30 million people.

There is no end to the catalog of climate disasters affecting my country. The glaciers in the Hindu Kush, the Himalayas and the Karakoram in northern Pakistan are melting at an accelerated pace. If the emission trends and temperature rises continue unabated, these mountains could lose between a third to two-thirds of their ice fields by 2100. The result will be catastrophic: By 2050, the increased melting will result in landslides, heavy flooding, dam bursts and soil erosion. After the glaciers have melted away, drought and famine will follow.

The terror of our coming era will be born of heat and fire and ice. Some years ago, I was in a village in Sindh after a massive flood had devastated it. Thousands were displaced overnight. The blistering heat soaked the faces of displaced young women in sweat thick like glycerin. I was unsure what would be more lethal — the drowning or the heat.

Not far from that drowned village in Sindh is the city of Jacobabad, where temperatures in the summer run as high as 124 degrees Fahrenheit . It is the hottest city in Asia, if not the world. Jacobabad has long electricity blackouts. Its poor die as they toil in the fields.

Temperature increases have brought plague after plague in rural areas. This year has brought Pakistan the most devastating locust infestations in nearly 30 years. The insects destroyed entire harvests, causing the government to call a national emergency as winter crops were decimated, resulting in losses of $2.5 billion. The locusts descend like a haze, so thick that from a distance it looked like a soft pink fog. Because of heavy rains and cyclones, there has been unprecedented breeding of locusts in the United Arab Emirates. They traveled to us from the Arabian Peninsula.

This is a climate war between the large industrial superpowers, financial predators that have polluted and poisoned our planet for profit, and the poor, who have done the least damage but will pay all of the consequences. Pakistan is responsible for less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but its people will bear the burden of the world’s deadliest polluters. If nothing is done to mitigate global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Bank, 800 million people in South Asia will be at risk of amplified poverty, homelessness and hunger.

The World Bank has identified Karachi as one the planet’s climate hot spots. Temperatures across South Asia are estimated to rise by 3.9 degrees Fahrenheit in the next 30 years. Karachi is already struggling with poor road connectivity, dire educational facilities and limited market access. Its already pathetic public health system will plummet. The rich might buy generators for electricity, pay for water tanks and rely on expensive hospitals, but the poor will continue to be devastated.

Pakistan’s current government is speaking about climate change, but it is a conversation that has come too late, unaccompanied by serious action. In 1947, Pakistan was 33 percent forest . Today, we have tree cover of just about 4 percent, all because of deforestation. This destruction, largely caused by the illegal logging by timber mafias, has silted up our waterways and left us undefended against floods and storms.

The country can easily be whipped into hysteria over supposed religious infractions committed by minorities and can debate women’s modesty and honor inexhaustibly, but it has little attention for the ferocious and imminent dangers of climate change.

Karachi’s rainfall, like the rising temperatures, is a consequence of the raging climate war. We have sat by and watched how cities die: slowly. We didn’t watch closely enough when the villages sank and struggled. But it is clear now that this is how a planet burns, one fire at a time, one degree hotter until eventually all that remains will be the chalky bones of Karachi’s ancient saints, buried on disappeared cliffs.

Fatima Bhutto, an essayist and novelist from Pakistan, is the author, most recently, of the novel “The Runaways.”

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Pakistan is facing an existential crisis

The IPCC report, warning of melting glaciers, should be a wake-up call for the Pakistani state.

The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its latest report in August 2021, on the heels of one of the hottest and most devastating summers on record: floods in northern Europe and China, wildfires in the US, and heatwaves everywhere.

The report tells us that the consequences of the current global warming crisis are largely irreversible. The most we can do is to prevent all-out ecological collapse.

Keep reading

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One of the more sobering findings of the report is that polar and mountain glaciers are likely going to continue to melt, irreversibly, for decades or centuries to come.

Pakistan has more glaciers outside of the polar icecaps than anywhere on earth. The glaciers feed one of the oldest and most fertile valleys on the planet – that of the Indus Basin, split between India and Pakistan. Roughly 75 percent of Pakistan’s 216 million population is settled on the banks of the Indus River. Its five largest urban centres are entirely dependent on the river for industrial and domestic water.

Pakistan has been blessed with regular agricultural cycles that have sustained its economy through successive crises. However, if the IPCC Report is correct – which it almost certainly is – by 2050, the country will be out of water.

Pakistan is not the only low-income country facing the impacts of climate change. It is not alone in looking on helplessly as industrialised nations – China and the US being the foremost – drag their heels on lowering emissions. Pakistan, like the Maldives and many other island nations, will suffer from the consequences of global warming disproportionately. However, unlike many countries that have taken up the issue of global emissions at the UN, Pakistan is not doing even the bare minimum to try and secure its future.

To say that this is the largest security issue the country will face in the next few decades would be putting it mildly. No other country is as dependent on non-polar ice for freshwater as Pakistan. No other country stands to lose as much. Yet, Pakistan’s government seems singularly unaware of the looming crisis. It has not even made much effort to meet its target of producing 60 percent of its electrical power from renewable sources by 2030. At the moment, the country still gets well over 60 percent of its electricity from fossil fuels.

Pakistan is already facing mounting environmental challenges. Heatwaves are killing scores of people and impacting crop cycles and yields on a regular basis. This year, both its largest city Karachi and its capital city Islamabad experienced devastating floods. Furthermore, the 806-kilometre (500-mile) Karakoram Highway, which is a critical part of Pakistan’s economic corridor with China, was shut down multiple times, for multiple days, due to landslides. These devastating landslides were a direct result of large-scale deforestation in the area north of Kohistan and south of Jaglot. Further north towards Shimshal and east towards the Skardu Valley, timber mafias are rapidly stripping old-growth forests, all but guaranteeing future environmental catastrophes.

Local and international environmental experts have long been warning that, without urgent and drastic action, things will get worse – both in Pakistan and wider South Asia. They have been warning for over a decade that Pakistan’s glaciers are melting and it is only a matter of time before the country runs out of water. Now the IPCC is saying the same in no uncertain terms.

Despite mounting evidence of a growing crisis, however, the Pakistani state is refusing to act.

There are several local initiatives to understand and address the impact of climate change on the region, such as those of the Shimshal Trust. But these efforts often face obstructions by the state and the military, who do not want environmental considerations and conservation projects to limit their control over strategic regions near the country’s borders with China and India.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan announced, at the beginning of his term in 2018, the Million Tree Plantation Drive to counter the effects of ongoing deforestation and climate change on the country. This, however, is akin to adding a fourth wheel to a tricycle and hoping it will eventually transform into a driverless electric car. No amount of new tree planting can replace old-growth forests. This is just a fact. The ancient alpine and conifer forests quite literally hold the ecology of northern Pakistan – its glaciers, rivers, and fertile valleys – together. They have taken millennia to grow and stabilise. They are irreplaceable.

Today, Pakistan is facing an existential crisis. The effects of climate change are not threatening a single sector or region of the country, but the lives and livelihoods of its entire population. As this year’s IPCC report underlined, we are, sadly, already too late to reverse the damage caused by the rampant consumption of fossil fuels. The choice we are facing now – in Pakistan and around the world – is to continue on a path to certain destruction, or start fighting for our collective survival.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

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How Pakistan is winning against Climate Change

Pakistan is the fastest country to achieve its UN Climate Action Goals which calls for urgent actions to combat Climate Change 10 years before the deadline.

Mangoves plantation activity at Port Qasim Area, Karachi

Photo: IUCN Pakistan

Climate Change and Water Crises in Pakistan: Implications on Water Quality and Health Risks

Waseem ishaque.

1 Director Area Study Centre (China), NUML, Islamabad, Pakistan

Rida Tanvir

2 Department of International Relations, NUML, Islamabad, Pakistan

Mudassir Mukhtar

3 HoD Media and Communication Studies, NUML, Islamabad, Pakistan

Associated Data

The data used to support the findings of this study are included within this article.

Pakistan is vulnerable and most affected by adverse impacts of climate change. The study examines the impact of climate change on Pakistan during the year 2022, resulting into unprecedented heatwave and drought in summers followed by the abnormal rains and floods during monsoon season. Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan's economy, which has been devastated by both drought and floods. While the flood water is gradually receding, the stagnant contaminated water is causing several health risks for the inhabitants. This research argues that water security is the emerging national security challenge for Pakistan. The article investigates the status of water availability vis-a-vis the burgeoning population, agriculture, and other uses of water. Impact of abnormal melting of glaciers, nonavailability of dams for storage of rainwater, and lack of smart means for agriculture water have been examined to empirically validate the arguments.

1. Introduction

Climate change has become international buzzword today and it is “no longer an unfamiliar term, which can be comprehended through personal knowledge, experience, and interactions” [ 1 ]. The phenomenon of climate change is largely attributed to human induced actions, more specifically in terms of emissions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere [ 2 ]. Therefore, the phenomena of climate change are producing many threats on the Earth surface, ranging from droughts, heavy precipitation, and heatwaves to unprecedented tropical cyclones [ 3 ]. All these disasters have varying degree of impact over different geographical zones, resulting into environmental, health, economic, and social impact. There is no denying the fact that the world we live in today is far more vulnerable and affected by the negative impacts of climate change. However, the greatest health impact is being witnessed in the countries which have least share in greenhouse emissions [ 4 ]. There is also strong realization to attend to climate emergency, which is causing water security issues around the globe, and threatens food security, agricultural yield, food supply, and prices with serious implications on sustainable development, poverty, and inequality. The UNICEF warns about the availability and use of water in a nicely crafted statement that “the world needs to get water smart, and everyone has to realize that they have a role to play, and we cannot afford to wait” [ 5 ]. The “climate change is happening right now, and its effects are being felt around the world” [ 6 ].

Pakistan is vulnerable to the negative consequences of climate change, therefore, susceptible to unusual weather patterns, which can create strategic challenges [ 7 ]. The rising temperatures are causing rapid melting of glaciers in northern areas and unusual rains as seen in monsoon this year have created mayhem through floods, unprecedented in Pakistan's history in last 30 years. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres stated that Pakistan is facing “the unrelenting effects of epochal levels of rains and flooding” [ 8 ]. The men and material losses are enormous and therefore, Pakistan is likely to face water crisis, food shortages, and serious implications for human security. Reacting to the recent flood situation in Pakistan, the Finance Minister Mr Miftah Ismail stated that “Pakistan is dealing with the worst effects of the climate change, which has caused over US$ 30 billion loss to Pakistan's economy and displacing 33 million people” [ 9 ]. This study explores the impacts of climate change on the availability, usage, and storage of water in Pakistan. The drought and floods of year 2022 have been taken as case study for analyzing the impacts of climate change across Pakistan by sampling both rural and urban areas. Figure 1 shows the sectoral usage of available water in Pakistan.

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Sectoral distribution of water consumption in Pakistan.

2. Materials and Methods

The year 2022 is unprecedented in Pakistan's history of last three decades. The summers produced extreme temperatures which resulted in unusual melting of glaciers in northern areas of Pakistan resulting in partial collapse of bridge near Hassanabad in Hunza [ 10 ] as shown in Figure 2 .

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Partial collapse of Hassanabad bridge.

Later, the exceptional monsoon rains produced extraordinary floods across the country, with huge men and material losses. The evolving trends indicate that Pakistan is most vulnerable to climate change. The floods have devastated the agriculture, livestock, and infrastructure. The loss to national economy is estimated at US$ 30 billion [ 11 ]. The survey and data analyses of past two and half decades reveal that Pakistan confronted from absolute dry and drought situations to devastating floods to the extent of witnessing both phenomenon in one calendar year as happening in the ongoing year 2022. The study has been completed by considering drought and floods data from primary and secondary sources with particular focus on this year. The field visits to rural and urban areas of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Baluchistan were conducted for obtaining the first-hand information and data on the impacts of flood situation. The relevant officials in the ministry of climate change and meteorological offices were also interviewed and their views have been incorporated in the study for developing a comprehensive picture, conducting rationale analyses, and arriving at workable findings. The study is very contemporary and relevant and expected to provide valuable policy guidelines to relevant government ministries in Pakistan as they are grappling with the ongoing flood situation and rehabilitation process. Figure 3 highlights the vulnerability of Pakistan to climate change risks in the global context, which has been explored further in the study to empirically prove the vulnerabilities and risks.

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Climate risk indexing and Pakistan's vulnerability [ 12 ].

3. Findings

3.1. deciphering the impact of climate change on pakistan.

Climate remains the most debated yet least addressed issue for decades. World leaders have often joined heads to tackle this global phenomenon but with little to no success. From motivational speeches to documentaries and movies on the effects of climate change on the Earth has been narrated time and again but to no avail [ 13 ]. The developed countries remain aloof of devastating effects of greenhouse gas emission is causing to the ozone layer. The growing depletion of the ozone layer is resulting in increased Ultraviolet (UV) radiations level on the surface of Earth, which has detrimental impact on human health resulting in cancer and weak immune system [ 14 ]. These UV radiations have devastating effect on the agriculture sector as well due to low yield of the crops [ 15 ]. Scientists have been talking about the infamous “black hole” in the Antarctic region for years. But the recent research in the year 2022 has discovered a hole in the Tropics (Tropics are the regions of the Earth near the equator) which is seven times bigger than the Antarctic region [ 16 ]. The more alarming situation is that, despite all this, the industrialized countries are less concerned by the deteriorating ozone and increase in global warming. Various protocols and initiatives like Kyoto Protocol, Copenhagen accord, and Paris accord had been initiated by the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Due to the Sovereign status of the global order, these agreements were not a binding, therefore, the industrial powers contributing the most carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases to the environment withdrew from these accords as it did not serve their economic interests. The major global contributors of the CO 2 emissions are given in Figure 4 :

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10 most polluted countries as of 2020 [ 17 ].

Figure 4 gives an account for the 10 most polluted countries in the world as of 2020. However, China remains leading in that aspect in the year 2022 as well. United States remain on second number with 4.4 billion tons of CO 2 emissions, while India is third producing 2.3 billion tons of CO 2 .

According to Figure 5 , the above countries might not appear as the top 10 global CO 2 contributors, but they fall in the top 10 per capita CO 2 contributors, due to their large-scale reliance on oil and small number of populations. United Nations Secretary General Mr Antonio Gutters paid an official visit to Pakistan on 9-10 September 2002 to show solidarity to flood victims and assess the devastations through field visits and official briefings. He stated that the “nature has attacked Pakistan, which contributes less than 1% of global emissions” [ 19 ] while facing the consequences of developed countries emissions and pollution of climate. He further added that “it was outrageous that action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was being put on the back burner, today it is Pakistan and tomorrow, it could be your country” [ 20 ], pointing toward industrialized countries. The Global Climate Index (GCI) 2021 has also vindicated Pakistan's vulnerabilities to climate risks as shown in Table 1 below, where Pakistan stands number 8 [ 21 ] in the vulnerability Index. The analysis presented highlights the severe impacts of climate change on Pakistan ranging from extreme heat and drought to dreadful floods. [ 22 ].

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10 most polluting countries per capita 2022 [ 18 ].

Global climate index 2021 [ 22 ].

3.2. Examination of Water Calamities in Pakistan

Water is an essential need for ecosystem and human life. In recent times, it has been a growing concern that “precious blue” is becoming inadequate resource for future of human survival [ 23 ]. The amount of fresh water has remained constant on Earth surface since last 100 years; however, the access to water resources is unbalanced [ 24 ] with the rapid population growth, urbanization, and deforestation. Similarly, other issues, such as technological waste, growing industrialization, global warming, and climate change, all are among the key contributing factors for extreme water scarcity [ 25 ]. Although the water scarcity has emerged as a global challenge today, it has severely hit the underdeveloped countries like Pakistan with serious implications on all sectors. Pakistan stands among top 10 severely “high water risk countries” with agriculture as most affected sector [ 26 ]. Moreover, roughly 80% of the population is facing grave shortage of water during at least 1 month in a year which is very alarming. Under scarce surface water, ground water resources (last resort to water supply) are being over utilized. If appropriate measures are not initiated in time with “whole of nation” and “whole of government” approach, the situation would get worse in time to come and the entire country will face the severe crises of water scarcity by 2025, by most projections “Pakistan could run dry” [ 27 ]. The evolving situation has serious implications on the national security of Pakistan, as it will create challenges for sustainable agriculture production which contributes around 23% of Pakistan's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and creates job opportunities for around 42% of population [ 28 ]. According to the report published by Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), Pakistan ranks 14th out of 17 very high-risk countries affected by water scarcity, as more than 1/3rd of available water is wasted due to bad management [ 29 ]. Since 1962, after the formalization of Indus Water Treaty (IWT) with India, per inhabitant water availability has plummeted from 5229 cubic meters to about 1187 in 2017, which is continuously on the downward slide [ 30 ]. The latest UN report on Pakistan's growing population indicates that by 2050, the population is likely to exceed 366 million [ 31 ], which will compound the water demand, which is predicted to reach 274-million-acre feet (MAF) by 2025 against available water supply of 191 MAF. This demand and supply gap would continue to grow year on year basis due to growing population and bad water management [ 32 ]. Figure 6 shows graphical representation of expected water situation in Pakistan by 2025 viz-a-viz the population [ 33 ].

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Water availability in Pakistan by 2025 taken from Dr Muhammad Ashraf's research report.

3.3. Analysis on Flood Devastations in Pakistan in Year 2022

Most of Pakistan's economy is dependent on the agricultural sector; however, the industrial sector also contributes a great deal to the economic growth of Pakistan. The growing population is directly impacting the environment as the number of vehicles on roads and the number of industries to accommodate these individuals will also increase. The population of Pakistan at the time of independence was 32.5 million; however, as per the 2021 census, the population has increased to 225 million. Although, Pakistan remains significantly low on the global CO 2 emissions list, yet the effects of global warming have reached Pakistan in a sweeping manner [ 34 ]. The issue that industrialized countries failed to realize that the environment does not belong to a single country and when one country damages the ozone layer, the entire world would pay the price for that. The year 2022 was one such year for Pakistan when the effects of climate change brought heavy rainfalls in Pakistan resulting in major loss of lives, infrastructural damage, and massive economic losses to the tune of US$ 30 billion [ 35 ]. The NASA issued satellite imagery on the flood situation in Pakistan, which is given in Figure 7 .

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NASA satellite imagery of floods in Pakistan, September 01, 2022.

Torrential rainfall and flooding have wreaked havoc across Pakistan killing over 1600 people including children and destroying infrastructure. According to statement given by Sherry Rehman Minister for Climate Change: “One third of the country is literally under water, a catastrophe of unknown precedent” The data are given in Table 2 and Figure 8 . Therefore, the devastating floods caused by unprecedented impact of climate change have hit Pakistan the most this year seriously impacting all the sectors of economy and society [ 36 ].

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Flood devastation in Swat (KPK) and Baluchistan.

Province wise loss suffered because of heavy rain fall [ 36 ].

3.4. Analysis on Drinking Water Quality in Pakistan

The quality of available drinking water in Pakistan is in a dreadful state. Both surface and subsurface water sources are contaminated and disease prone [ 37 ] in major cities as well as rural areas. In the overall context, per capita the availability of water is decreasing precipitously in Pakistan, and the country is ranked as “water stressed” country and fast heading toward “water scarce” country in coming few years [ 38 ]. The evolving situation also creates challenges for availability of water for agricultural production, and daily usage requirements, therefore intensifying the human security issues in Pakistan [ 39 ]. Water pollution is the most common word today in Pakistan, which can be ascribed to numerous aspects affecting quality of available water [ 40 ]. The common causes are an upsurge in the atmospheric temperatures, with an inbuilt tendency to take heat to the threshold of drinking water, microbes, organic chemicals, nutrients, and heavy metals [ 41 ] . The research findings have discovered other factors as well affecting water quality, which include surface debris, sporadic water supply, improper discharge of water supply, proximity of sewage water to drinking water lines, industrial waste which has now become very common in almost all major cities in Pakistan, discharge of untreated sewage water and highly incompetent technical workers and service providers on water disposal projects [ 42 ]. The pollution of water due to geological and natural factors depends on the presence of different chemicals and their concentration in the geological formations in selected areas, while anthropogenic pollution is caused by extensive use of herbicides and pesticides, coal mining, oil refining, careless disposal of garbage, and septic tanks [ 43 ]. Because of such developments, fresh drinking water is available to hardly 20% of population, while 80% population is content with drinking of contaminated water [ 44 ]. The recent floods have further aggravated the situation as vast swaths of land in Pakistan is still under water, which is now contaminated causing several health issues. The ongoing situation has also impurified subsurface drinking water due to seepage of contaminated flood water deep in Earth, and government's inability for effective disposal of sewage water.

3.5. Water Security

Food and energy security is directly influenced by water security for agrarian society like Pakistan, which contributes more than 23% in national GDP. Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan as it employs more than 40 million population and guarantor of breadbasket of the country. Therefore, “the loss of major river systems in the past had a domino effect on the thriving civilizations, which became extinct one after the other” [ 45 ]. Pakistan is transitioning from water strained country with declining “per capita fresh drinking water, which is less than 1800 cubic meters per year (m 3 /y) to water scarce country (per capita less than 1000 m 3 /y)” projected by 2035 [ 46 ]. Similarly, river water also receding to 800 m 3 /y is expected in 2026 due to growing population. Therefore, “water security is emerging threat for Pakistan” [ 47 ]. Pakistan is a lower riparian state reliant on the nature and other countries for river's water. India has constructed more than fifty big and small dams on the rivers coming to Pakistan, which are a constant source of irritation in the bilateral relations and vital for Pakistan's water and energy security. Similarly, Afghanistan is also considering construction of dams on Kabul River, which is likely to create two front dilemmas for Pakistan. The situation is even challenging when viewed in the context of availability of only two major dams in Pakistan, Tarbela, and Mangla which were constructed in late 1960s and 1970s; however, “their capacities are reducing due to silting.” While construction of new dams is highly politicized, charged with massive outrage from political parties and masses, therefore, not likely to happen in near future. It is expected that the availability of less water is likely to increase food shortages and create conflict among the federating units and the federation. Similarly, the negative impacts of climate change can cause melting glaciers and unusual pattern of rains, which may lead to flooding as we are witnessing in year 2022.

3.6. Food Security

The Indus Basin, which is the bedrock of agriculture support in Pakistan is seriously threatened by the negative impacts of climate change. The changing weather patterns may result in the reduction of crops yield “(15–20% in cereals) and livestock (20–30%)” [ 48 ], impacting negatively the dairy and poultry as the agriculture and livestock sectors are the “backbone of Pakistan's economy, which contributes 23% to GDP and accounts 60% exports of country” [ 49 ]. The food security is vulnerable to climate change due to reduction in crops and adversarial influences on livestock. Reduced water in real harvesting season is changing the crops patterns and the lands are vulnerable to droughts and flooding as well, which also create massive migrations. The devastations of ongoing floods have created serious food shortages in Pakistan and inflation is also all time high. Pakistan's Prime Minister has already rung the alarm bells by stating that Pakistan is vulnerable to serious food shortage, and it is feared that essential food items may be imported this year and next year as all cultivable lands are under water [ 50 ].

3.7. Implications of Climate Change on the National Mosaic of Pakistan

3.7.1. competition over water resources.

Agriculture-based economies are heavily dependent on the natural resources of the state. This is extremely critical situation for the state to cope with the needs of the masses and economic challenges when there is a scarcity of sustainable renewable and nonrenewable resources. Countries like Pakistan where socioeconomic challenges, such as rising population, lack of political will, internal security issues, urbanization, lack of public policies for managing population, and natural resources are growing at a faster pace as compared with its economic growth. Even the geographical position of the state near the equator is unable to supplement its growing needs and demands. It is an alarming situation for the Pakistan that in the presence of other socioeconomic challenges, the drastic impacts of climate change have also increased its economic and political challenges, while the insufficiency of water reservoirs is creating serious concerns of inter-provincial disharmony. The rising population has not only affected the quantity of water reservoirs but has also depleted the quality in the same manner. The increase in anthropogenic activities is causing water stress on natural reservoirs, while since independence in 1947, the country is facing persistent decline in the availability of water year on year basis due to multitude of factors examined above. According to the estimates of Mr. Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Chairman Pakistan Agriculture Scientists Association (PASA), in 1947, the capita water availability was 5600 cubic meters, which decreased by 406% from 5260 cubic meters in 1951 to 1038 cubic meters in 2010 and 877 cubic meters in 2020. The PASA estimates that available water will further deplete by 2025 to a level of 660 cubic meters and by 2050 will reach 575 cubic meters as shown in Figure 9 below [ 51 ].

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Per capita availability of water reservoirs in Pakistan [ 52 ].

The causes of water shortages in Pakistan exist in two types: (a) incidental causes related to poor water management policies at local level, (b) operational causes include the political conflicts (over the water resources on provincial/institutional level) and the societal differences over water management and distribution. Water issue is not only related with the environmental degradation, but also linked with the social factors as abnormal population growth causes a rise in demand of clean water resources, disturbance of equilibrium between communities, provinces, and water resources distribution. As Pakistan consists of multiple ethnicities and diversified geographical terrain but competition over the access of water resources has often created tensions and conflicts among the federating units. The growing vulnerabilities of communities over the insufficiency of water reservoirs promote lawlessness, antistate sentiments and sense of deprivation among its own nationals. Due to lack of strong monitoring mechanism over channelization of available water, for creating a balanced approach between demand and supply of available water, the population is incentivized for illegal water proliferation. The tacit approval from the water management departments has resulted in water theft cases mostly in Southern Punjab and interior Sindh, as there are many illegal drillings, hidden pipelines, and unrecorded water connections from main supply lines. Such illegal water channels mostly exist adjacent to sanitation systems in cities and rural areas, contaminating the available water. The increase in anthropogenic activities is also causing water stress on natural reservoirs.

Another reason of growing water scarcity is unlawful construction and sanitation systems near or over the water channels, which continuously contaminate water, especially during floods blend these altogether. The role of administration is highly crucial in this matter to control such catastrophic constructions and lessen the pressure on water consumption. The unprotected constructions along rivers, lakes, and streams often cause blockage of natural water channels particularly in monsoon and rainy season resulting into loss of lives, roads network, and infrastructure damage as the enormity of flood damages to clean water channels is immeasurable. In 2010 floods, Pakistan witnessed unimaginable losses as around 20 million people were victims, 1.7 million died, 436 healthcare centers were devastated, 80% food reserves were smashed, 2.9 million households were severely damaged, nearly 1.1 million houses were damaged and $ 9.7 billion economic loss in 135 districts. While the issues of accessing the safe water channels was still in demand after flood (96.8% before vs 96.7%). In year 2022 floods, these losses have increased manifolds and caused unprecedented damages to natural water resources. Around 33 million people are direct victims, death troll rising above 1500, while 110 district of Baluchistan (Quetta, Pishin, Killa Saifullah, Nushki, Jaffarabad, and Washuk), Punjab (Koh e Suleman ranges, Rajanpur, D. G Khan), Sindh (Mirpur Khas, Thatta, Sajawal, and Shaheed Benazir Abad) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Swat and lower/upper Dir) are declared as most calamity hit areas. While 30% water channels are severely affected, and 63% flood victims are struggling for sufficient clean water channels. The economic losses suffered have been estimated to the tune of US$ 30 billion. The analyses amply highlight the insufficiency of available water and demand, compounded by adverse effects of floods during this year.

3.7.2. Negative Impact on Agriculture Sector

Pakistan is heavily relying on agricultural sector for its international exports and domestic food demands, but in the presence of water crisis and conventional irrigation system for its agricultural production, the country will face severe challenges of water scarcity in times to come. According to Global Food and Security Index 2021, Pakistan ranked 80 out of 113 countries [ 53 ] and Global Food and Security Index 2022, it has further slipped by four numbers and now ranks 84 out of 113 countries [ 54 ]. Pakistan lags behind all South Asian countries in food insecurity. The lack of progress in agricultural sector is also linked with the mismanagement of land and water resources, unsatisfactory policies of water governance, exponential population growth, and the negative impacts of climate change. Pakistan has also failed to adopt new strategies like advanced water management in agricultural sector, usage of adaptation methods in yields productions to enhance water consumption in eco-friendly manner, educate farmers about the water recycling and water productivity techniques. While water scarcity is a highly charged political issue in Pakistan as there is a turf war between the provinces and the federation. However, Punjab government took good initiative and introduced national water policy of Pakistan to ensure regularization of water governance system in the country. In the presence of fragile agriculture sector development, climate degradation impacts have worsened the livelihood and yield production. Therefore, on a year-on-year basis, the agriculture yield is squeezing, demand of water is increasing, and unplanned urbanization is resulting into loss of precious agriculture land. The overall impact of these issues is creating negative repercussions on agriculture production and aggravating food security situation in Pakistan.

3.7.3. Water Quality and Public Health Risks

The availability of clean drinking water is biggest national security challenge for Pakistan today. The water proliferation and loss of water supply sources from government record is not only raising the administrative issues but also causing multiple public health problems. The contamination of water along with the presence of sanitary pipelines expose the population with the contagious and chronic diseases like diarrhea, cholera, jaundice, typhoid, hepatitis C, liver cancer, and gastrointestinal infections. The water scarcity in Pakistan has enormous impact on health care system as well as the country is struggling with the diseases that are almost nonexistential in developed countries. The significant findings of this study are that in Pakistan, 50% diseases spread through contaminated water and provide most suitable medium of spread and transfer various bacterial and viral infections from human to human or animals to human as the country is facing the 40% of mortality rate caused by the contaminated water intake, while the frontline victims of waterborne diseases are pregnant women, newly born babies, and early teenage groups. It is also important to note that the primary source of water in Pakistan is sub-surface water channels, which over a period have become the hub of different variants of pathogens. According to World Health Organization (WHO) report, approximately, 2.5 million deaths occur annually in Pakistan from widespread diarrheal diseases caused by bacterial and protozoan agents present in inferior quality of drinking water. Around 80% population is exposed to unsafe water as UNICEF Pakistan has also shared the alarming fact that the well-being and health standards of youngsters are at risk; therefore, each year, 53,000 children under the age of 5 years lose their lives due to unhygienic water as 70% of household work and domestic usage of water in Pakistan is dependent on bacterial water sources. The floods of 2022 have compounded the problems of availability and access to clean drinking water. The field visits to rural and urban Sindh, KPK, and Baluchistan vindicated scarcity and contamination of drinking water, which has been reported by several NGOs and media as well. The stagnant water has been contaminated due to mixing of sewage water and created ideal breading grounds for bacteria causing serious health risks. Nonavailability of compatible medical support, inaccessibility, and nondisposal of flood water have created many health risks and entire population in affected areas is vulnerable to adverse effects of contaminated water. In most areas, the disposal of flood water is left to the nature and the government agencies have demonstrated inability to manage it, therefore, spread of waterborne diseases will continue for prolonged period in future.

4. Policy Recommendations

4.1. legislation for interministerial coordination.

The ministry of climate change should take a lead role and coordinate with all the provinces on the issues of water security. All related agencies and departments should work in harmony with this ministry for synergetic response. Similarly, international engagements would be essential component for successful policy implementation; therefore, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Climate Change should remove overlaps and avoid duplications wherever required.

4.2. Proper Enforcement of Legislation

“Pakistan Water Apportionment Accord 1991” highlights the judicious distribution of Indus River System (IRS) water among the federating units of Pakistan. However, this accord was unable to deal with the conflicts arising due to unfair distribution of water at times. To resolve this issue, “Indus River System Authority” (IRSA) was established in 1992 [ 55 ], through an act of Parliament to work as an institution for Indus water resources regulation and monitoring in Pakistan. However, the problems related to fair water distribution, monitoring and installation system, and the treatment plants lagged during the implementation phase. There always remained issues between Punjab and Sindh regarding unfair water theft. Despite establishment of “Council of Common Interest” (CCI) to resolve the grievances of provinces, but issues persist due to weak implementation mechanism and weak governance. The devolution of power under 18th amendment of the constitution, devolved the water distribution among the rural and urban areas of each province as an internal matter of the provinces; however, water crises remain at large seriously impacting inter-provincial harmony. The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) is assigned the task of ensuring clean drinking water across Pakistan. Implementation of water-related policies requires a great deal of realization and urgency on the part of the political elites of Pakistan. The gravity of the issue needs to be addressed as a national emergency, otherwise, Pakistan is vulnerable to water scarcity situations normally witnessed in African continent.

4.3. Judicious Distribution of Water

Being a lower riparian, Sindh is often complaining about the water shortage, especially in the pre-monsoon period each year. The claims made by Sindh government at numerous occasions regarding Punjab stealing its share of water have been denied by Indus River System Authority (IRSA). After the 18th amendment, the allocation of resources to the provinces has been ensured to be judicious; however, the internal distribution of these resources to the rural and urban areas is the responsibility of the provinces. The IRSA is mandated to address, regulate, and develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for water allocation to the provinces. Regrettably, each province has its own peculiarities in terms of agricultural needs and population, therefore, making the interpretation and implementation of the accord more difficult. To resolve water distribution issues on sustainable basis, the “whole of government approach” is recommended along with on-site consultative visits by the representatives of provincial and federal governments and political leaders for expeditious resolution of conflicting issues. Creating unnecessary fault lines is detrimental to national integration, which should be avoided at all costs.

4.4. Water Treatment Plants and Recycling of Water

Pakistan is in dire need of installing treatment plants as every year, hospitals are flooded with patients, both adults and children suffering from diseases resulting from contaminated water. People living in both urban and rural areas are exposed to contagions and microbial bacteria, which enter the body through water, unsafe for drinking. Not everyone in Pakistan can afford bottled water, therefore, it is the responsibility of the state to provide its citizens with safe drinking water. As we know that Pakistan receives a major portion of heavy rains between the months of July to September, where majority of rainwater ends up in rivers, ponds, while the rest of it results in heavy floods of cities and inhabitants. The government through installation of treatment plants can filter clean drinking water for ensuring public health. Similarly, more wastewater recycling plants are the need of time, which should be installed at priority. In rural areas, wastewater treatment is almost nonexistent, leading to pollution of surface and groundwater [ 56 ]. The government should pay instantaneous attention to the evolving challenges of treatment of wastewater for sparing clean water for drinking purposes and balanced delivery of recycled water to other uses like irrigation.

4.5. Climate Emergency and Disaster Response Mechanism

Pakistan was successful in convincing the world leaders during recently concluded United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) sessions about vulnerabilities to climate risks and the unprecedented impact during year 2022. UN Secretary General Antoni Guterres and US President Joe Biden personally appealed for help for Pakistan to alleviate the suffering and quick rehabilitation of flood victims. It is suggested that Pakistan should consider climate diplomacy as an urgent priority and initiate the process of engagement at bilateral and multilateral levels with developed countries to reduce the vulnerabilities and risks of climate change. Additionally, the disaster response mechanism also needs to be re-energized with strong interagency coordination. The existing structure of national and provincial disaster management authorities should be reinforced through capacity building and professional training. Appropriate equipment for rescue and relief operations also needs to be provided at vulnerable sites for immediate response to save maximum lives. The infrastructure development in flood affected areas should be expedited for which essential resources should be mobilized well in time. Such preparations should be done and rehearsed every year during pre-monsoon season for synergetic and a befitting response to minimize reaction time and save maximum lives.

5. Conclusion

Climate change is the evolving global threat, and Pakistan is most vulnerable from its negative impacts. The year 2022 witnessed extreme drought on one hand, followed by unusual floods over the short span of 2-3 months. Therefore, for Pakistan, alarm bells are ringing to take the holistic stock of situation by declaring climate emergency and adopt “whole of nation” and “whole of government” approaches for a comprehensive response ensuring strong interagency cooperation and capitalizing on the synergetic application of all Elements of National Power (EoNP) for optimum results. It is essential to integrate the respective departments under the umbrella of national and provincial disaster response agencies for harmonious functioning, coordination, and execution. There is dire need to create strong national realization to “conserve, preserve, and proportionally distribute existing water resources” [ 57 ]. Moreover, smart means for spending agriculture water and recycling of water for uses other than drinking would be helpful as such practices have been adopted by most of developed countries. The construction of more water reservoirs is the need of time and current floods across Pakistan are the testimony of this fact. It is felt that this study shall help the relevant government ministries as an academic policy input for addressing water security issues in Pakistan on sustainable basis.

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Conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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02 September 2022
Correction 02 September 2022
Correction 16 September 2022

Why are Pakistan’s floods so extreme this year?

Smriti Mallapaty

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With rivers breaking their banks, flash flooding and glacial lakes bursting, Pakistan is experiencing its worst floods this century. At least two-thirds of the country’s districts have been affected. Scientists say several factors have contributed to the extreme event, which has displaced some 33 million people and killed more than 1,200.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-02813-6

Updates & Corrections

Correction 02 September 2022 : An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the number of houses that have been destroyed. The correct figure is 1.2 million.

Correction 16 September 2022 : A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that at least one-third of the country was under water.

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Climate crisis in Pakistan underscores need for investment in climate adaptation; WFP calls for urgent action at COP27

The Pakistan floods – which inundated a third of the country - claimed over 1,700 lives, uprooted eight million people, and destroyed homes, schools, health facilities, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. The floods condemned already vulnerable families in rural and urban areas to even more acute hunger – hunger so severe it threatens lives and livelihoods.

“The floods in Pakistan provide ample evidence of how the climate crisis is devastating lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure. The heatwave over the summer saw Pakistan becoming the hottest place on the planet. Melting glaciers and parched ground conspired to make the monsoon infinitely more devastating,” said Chris Kaye, WFP’s Country Director in Pakistan.

“The sad truth is that Pakistan – and other countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis – will continue to experience more extreme climate shocks and we need to prepare communities to weather the coming storm,” Kaye added.

The sheer scale of the loss and damage incurred due to the floods is laid out in the Government-led Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) - released last week - which put the total cost of the floods at US$30 billion - US$14.9 billion in damages and US$15.2 billion in losses. The agriculture, food, livestock, and fisheries sectors were particularly hard-hit, with millions of acres of cropland submerged and more than a million heads of livestock killed. Precious stocks of food and seeds – and valuable topsoil – were washed away, as were much of the country’s ready-to-harvest cotton, sugarcane, and rice crops, traditionally top export earners.

The floods more than doubled the number of people needing emergency food assistance, taking it to a staggering 14.6 million. With large swathes of farmland still under water, the autumn wheat-planting season is now compromised, raising fears of significant scarcities of the country’s staple grain, and prohibitively high prices – a painful prospect given the ongoing volatility of global commodity markets.

The floods in Pakistan came on the heels of a severe heatwave and drought, which saw scorching temperatures consistently above 45°C. This triggered unusually heavy melting of the country’s northern glaciers, followed by the heaviest monsoon rains on record culminating in catastrophic flooding.

Pakistan ranks among the 10 countries hardest hit by the climate crisis according to the Climate Risk Index. Yet the country has contributed less than half of one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting the climate injustice of this catastrophe.

WFP is implementing a vital relief operation to help millions of flood-hit people in Pakistan survive the impact of the flooding. Having provided food, cash, nutritional and livelihoods support to more than two million of Pakistan’s most affected people so far, WFP is now working with the government and other partners to reach a total of 2.7 million of the worst off through May of next year, while expanding vital resilience-building activities. WFP has to date secured just 31 percent of the US$ 225 million needed through May for crucial food, nutrition, and logistics interventions, and urgently needs support.

While emergency assistance staves off hunger in the short-term, food insecurity in Pakistan can only be meaningfully addressed by adequate investment in tackling root causes and helping to build the resilience of communities at the sharp end of the climate crisis.

Globally, WFP is working on the frontlines of hunger and climate helping vulnerable communities adapt to the climate crisis. WFP’s work includes anticipating climate hazards before they turn into disasters by using early warning systems to trigger preventative action, restoring degraded ecosystems that serve as natural shields against climate impacts and protecting the most vulnerable with financial safety nets and insurance schemes.

Note to Editors:

Broadcast quality footage available via this link .

WFP at COP27: At COP27, WFP is showcasing solutions to avert and minimize loss and damage in vulnerable livelihoods and food systems. WFP is also calling for increased investment in climate adaptation for communities in fragile contexts, and the transformation of global food systems towards greener, more equitable and resilient pathways.

WFP is making experts available to the media at COP27 who can comment on the changing climate, its impact on food security and WFP solutions:

Gernot Laganda – WFP Director of Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction
Martin Frick – Climate and Food Systems Expert and Director of the WFP Berlin Office
Corinne Fleischer – WFP Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa
Menghestab Haile – WFP Regional Director for Southern Africa
Mathieu Dubreuil - WFP Climate Insurance Expert
Elizabeth Nyamayaro – WFP Special Advisor (Other experts available on request)

WFP is also pleased to invite media to a press conference on Saturday 12 November at 11:30am at the press conference room ‘Cairo’ in the Nefertiti Area. For registrations contact: [email protected] ; +39 342 123 5169

# # #

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

James Belgrave , WFP/ Rome, Mob. +39 366 529 4297

Nina Valente, WFP/ London, Mob. +44 (0)796 8008 474 Martin Rentsch, WFP/Berlin, Mob +49 160 99 26 17 30 Shaza Moghraby, WFP/New York, Mob. + 1 929 289 9867

Steve Taravella, WFP/ Washington, Mob. +1 202 770 5993

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Pakistan’s ‘climate carnage beyond imagination’, UN chief tells General Assembly

Afghan refugee children play close to a water supply pump at Kheshgi refugee village in Nowshera District, Pakistan.

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The people of Pakistan are the victims of “a grim calculus of climate injustice”, Secretary-General António Guterres told the UN General Assembly on Friday, reminding that while the country was responsible for less than one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, it is paying a “supersized price for man-made climate change”.

During a full session of the UN’s most representative body on the country’s devastating floods, he recalled last month’s visit where he saw “a level of climate carnage beyond imagination”.

He described flood waters covering a landmass three times the total area of his own country, Portugal, saying that many lost their homes, livestock, crops and “their futures”.

“ Lives were washed away ”, he spelled out.

"Today, it is Pakistan. Tomorrow it could be any of our countries" - @antonioguterres says climate chaos is knocking on everyone’s door and we must step up and answer the call for the people of #Pakistan UN Photo/Cia Pak https://t.co/pdUucOvnub United Nations Photo UN_Photo October 7, 2022

Worse to come

While the rains have ceased and water is beginning to recede, many areas in the south remain inundated and, with winter approaching, the situation is going from bad to worse.

“Pakistan is on the verge of a public health disaster”, warned the top UN official, pointing to threats of cholera, malaria and dengue fever claiming “far more lives than the floods”.

He painted a picture of nearly 1,500 devastated health facilities, two million damaged or destroyed homes and more than two million families without their possessions.

“ Many have no shelter as winter approaches ”.

Cascading calamities

At the same time, the scale of crop and livestock destruction is “creating a food crisis today and putting the planting season in jeopardy tomorrow”, continued Mr. Guterres.

“Severe hunger is spiking. Malnutrition among children and pregnant lactating women is rising. The number of children out of school is growing. Heartache and hardship – especially for women and girls – is mounting,” he elaborated.

Moreover, more than 15 million people could be pushed into poverty.

The effects of the floods will be felt not just for days or months but will linger in Pakistan for years to come.

Massive support needed

Working with the Pakistan Government to convene a pledging conference to provide rehabilitation and reconstruction support, the UN chief urged donor countries, international organizations, the private sector and civil society to fully support these efforts.

Meanwhile, the Organization launched the Pakistan Floods Response Plan calling for $816 million – a surge of $656 million from the initial appeal – to respond to the most urgent needs through next May.

“But this pales in comparison to what is needed on every front – including food, water, sanitation…and health support”, said the Secretary-General.

G20’s ‘Moral responsibility’

As the calendar moves quickly to next UN climate conference ( COP27 ) in November, he said “the world is moving backwards [as] greenhouse gas emissions are rising along with climate calamities”.

The UN chief stressed that COP 27 must be the place where these trends are reversed, serious action on loss and damage taken, and vital funding found for adaptation and resilience.

Reminding that the G20 leading industrialized nations drive 80 per cent of climate-destroying emissions, he called it their “moral responsibility” to help Pakistan recover, adapt and build resilience to disasters “supercharged by the climate crisis”.

Young boys and a man using crutches pass through the flooded streets of Nowshera Kalan, one of the worst affected area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan.

‘We must act now’

Noting that a third of Pakistan had been deluged , Mr. Guterres said that many island States face “the very real prospect of their entire homeland going under”.

“Communities everywhere are looking down the barrel of climate-driven destruction,” he said. “We must act – and we must act now”.

While this time it was Pakistan, the Secretary-General warned that tomorrow, “it could be any of our countries and our communities”.

“ Climate chaos is knocking on everyone’s door , right now,” he concluded. “This global crisis demands global solidarity and a global response”.

‘Litmus test of solidarity’

General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi, underscored the importance of time, as “the price we are paying for delays rises each day”.

He said that today, the world faced a “litmus test of solidarity” in how Member States react to Pakistan’s plight.

“This is a tragedy of epic proportions” that requires “immediate interventions,” to prevent a “permanent emergency”.

Rebuilding together

The Assembly President highlighted the need to be better prepared as droughts and rains return.

More than ever, international relief efforts must focus on transformative solutions, he said. “ Adaptation and resilience are the seeds of sustainability ”.

Mr. Kőrösi urged the ambassadors to “make use of science and solidarity…to enhance our crisis management capacities…[to] rebuild together”.

Floodwaters in Umerkot district, Sindh Province, Pakistan.

Appealing for help

Meanwhile the UN refugee agency, UNHCR , is urgently seeking to help more than 650,000 refugees and members of their host communities affected by Pakistan’s calamitous flooding.

Noting that the scale of devastation is “hard to comprehend,” spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh told a press briefing in Geneva on Friday that as Pakistan faces “a colossal challenge” to respond to the climate disaster, more support is need “for the country and its people, who have generously hosted Afghan refugees for over four decades”.

He reported on the latest estimates of the unprecedented rainfall and flooding, recorded at least 1,700 deaths; 12,800 injured, including at least 4,000 children; some 7.9 million displacements; and nearly 600,000 living in relief sites.

On ‘the frontlines’

“Pakistan is on the frontlines of the climate emergency,” said Mr. Saltmarsh.

UNHCR seeks additional funds to address immediate needs and assist in early recovery processes.

“It could take months for flood waters to recede in the hardest-hit areas, as fears rise over threats of waterborne diseases and the safety of millions of affected people, 70 per cent of whom are women and children,” he said, reminding that “ environmental sustainability will remain central to the response ”.

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Pakistan Presses U.S. to Lead Global Response to Climate Disasters

Its foreign minister urges wealthy states to fulfill a 2009 offer of funds to confront climate change.

Thursday, September 29, 2022 / By: James Rupert

Publication Type: Analysis

Pakistan’s unprecedented flood disaster is a wakeup call for governments and international institutions on the need to build a worldwide response to the disproportionate burden of climate change on nations of the Global South — a challenge that Pakistan’s foreign minister underscored to U.S. officials and foreign policy analysts Wednesday at USIP. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari urged policymakers to lead an international effort to use the Pakistan crisis as a catalyst for a more effective international effort to help the countries most vulnerable to climate change.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari speaks to U.S. officials and policy experts at USIP, urging support for a global response to his country’s flood that can build a system to help developing countries most vulnerable to climate disasters.

Pakistan’s Agony: A Global Portent

The flooding from this year’s monsoon rains has submerged a third of Pakistan , an area larger than the United Kingdom, and displaced 33 million people, close to the population of Canada, Bhutto Zardari said. Like Pakistan, “most countries are not equipped to deal with one seventh of their population becoming climate refugees overnight,” he said.

The flood creates a multilayered crisis that will extend for years, say Pakistanis and others, including Samantha Power , administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Malaria, typhoid and other diseases are spreading and will accelerate as millions of Pakistanis rely on unsafe water, the World Health Organization says . The flood has destroyed as much as half of Pakistan’s economically essential cotton crop, as well as wheat, rice, livestock and other food sources. Experts expect food shortages to spike prices further after inflation reached an annual rate of about 25 percent in July. These health, housing, food and economic crises are likely to push a new influx of impoverished, rural Pakistanis into the country’s already overburdened cities.

Pakistan’s sudden new agony reflects a global future — a quantum increase in humanitarian disasters and human impoverishment — foreseen by crisis experts from U.N. agencies , the World Bank and many faith-based organizations. Pakistan is among the 10 countries most harmed by disasters related to climate change over the past two decades, according to the Global Climate Risk Index published by the Berlin-based, non-profit analysis group Germanwatch . That index finds the worst-hit countries are developing nations that “have a lower coping capacity” in the face of increasingly violent storms, searing heat or lengthening droughts. These climate-driven crises in turn are heightening risks for violent conflict, according to USIP’s Tegan Blaine and other specialists on climate and peacebuilding. The Institute’s fieldwork and grants help communities in Kenya , Nigeria , Kyrgyzstan and other countries prevent violence in disputes driven by the changing climate.

A Pilot Case for Climate Justice?

Bhutto Zardari underscored the lopsided injustices of climate change facing his and other less-developed nations. Pakistan contributes “a negligible 0.8 percent of the global carbon footprint, but we are among the 10 … most climate-stressed countries on the planet,” he said. Pakistan and the other worst-hurt nations “don’t have the fiscal space to adapt, … to build the infrastructure necessary to deal with the climate challenges.”

State Department Counsellor Derek Chollet said the “profound crisis” of Pakistan’s floods presents “a new opportunity” for improved U.S.-Pakistan relations.

Bhutto Zardari, whose five-month-old coalition government faces huge political challenges , spoke to several dozen U.S. officials and Pakistan policy specialists Wednesday after meetings last week at the U.N. General Assembly session and this week with Secretary of State Antony Blinken . He expressed appreciation for the $66 million in emergency help offered by the United States.

But Bhutto Zardari also noted the vastly greater, unfulfilled 2009 commitment by the United States and other developed countries “to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion a year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries” in confronting climate change. Those countries have failed to meet that target in what many governments, aid groups and analysts call a broken promise . “That money’s not available,” Bhutto Zardari said in a discussion with former Ambassador Dan Feldman, who has held senior U.S. diplomatic posts on Pakistan and climate issues. “It turns out that … there’s no mechanism” of the scale required to help the poorer countries that increasingly are being crushed under the fiscal and human costs of metastasizing climate disasters, he said.

The United States should lead in making Pakistan “the pilot case” for fulfilling that 13-year-old promise, both to respond to the immediate crisis and to help similarly stricken countries in coming years, Bhutto Zardari said. In the debate over wealthy nations’ moral responsibilities as the overwhelming producers of greenhouse gases and thus climate disasters, environment advocates and scholars have urged that those countries pay reparations for the climate damage inflicted on the Global South. A vital step is for the United States and China, the world’s largest economies, to cooperate, Bhutto Zardari urged. “If the U.S. and China can work together on climate, then it’s great. We may be able to survive as the human race on this planet,” he told Feldman, smiling.

A Pakistani Part of the Problem

Pakistanis and international climate experts say Pakistan’s own governance problems have amplified the losses from the flood. The country suffered disastrous monsoon floods in 2010 that submerged a fifth of the country. Still, official unpreparedness, corruption and weak enforcement of laws allowed for the current repeat disaster, Blaine and USIP Pakistan specialist Jumaina Siddiqui have noted.

“Like Westerners, Pakistani elites planned for security and progress,” Pakistani-British novelist Mohammed Hanif writes in this week’s New Yorker . “We turned agricultural lands into golf courses and gated communities, and built houses on riverbeds, and grew cash crops along waterways. We thought less about the millions who live in mud houses, who till someone else’s land to feed their kids and save a bit in hopes of sending them to school one day. Now the water has turned their houses back into mud, and washed away the grain that they stocked for the entire year, and flooded the land that still belongs to someone else.”

Still, Hanif echoes Bhutto Zardari in noting that only the world’s wealthy nations have the resources to lead the investment needed to slow global warming and repair and prevent damage from climate change. Hanif criticizes the hesitations of wealthy nations, such as the United States, to provide help at the scale they have acknowledged is needed. It can sound, he writes, like “haggling over the price of life jackets with drowning people.”

Siddiqui made a similar point in a recent essay co-authored with the Cato Institute’s Sahar Khan. “Climate resiliency will not be possible if industrialized countries do not take responsibility and make changes to combat climate change,” they wrote. Many officials and commentators from wealthier countries “put the blame on countries in the Global South for being unable to battle climate change because of corruption. While this isn’t incorrect — corruption is a huge hurdle for any kind of development — this narrative takes the onus off of countries in the Global North.”

Blaine, who has worked on climate change problems for USAID and the National Geographic Society, lamented the trading of blame that has enmired the effort to build the vigorous global response that most countries have acknowledged is required. “We need to look for other discussions to bring to the table,” she said. She noted that, while it is the wealthy, long-industrialized countries that have led the historical growth of Earth’s atmospheric greenhouse gases, their contribution to that pollution has tended to level off or even begin to drop. The foreseeable growth in emissions “is primarily from the developing world,” she said, and both richer and poorer countries share an interest in making the investments needed to help developing nations “leapfrog dirty technologies” and find cleaner ways to fulfill their right to development.

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Pakistan is currently confronted with a wide array of challenges stemming from climate change, encompassing environmental degradation, natural calamities, and human displacement. The ramifications of climate change have now posed an enduring security threat, firmly entrenched within Pakistan’s traditional security landscape, further intensifying the preexisting security predicaments such as poverty, terrorism, and international migration. In order to mitigate these risks effectively, the utilization of design communication proves to be an invaluable and influential instrument, serving to alleviate the climate change hazards faced not only by Pakistan but also by other nations susceptible to similar vulnerabilities. By harnessing inventive design strategies coupled with cutting-edge technologies, communication design exhibits the potential to disseminate vital information, enhance public awareness, and facilitate education among individuals adversely affected by the perils of climate change.

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Pakistan’s floods are a failure of governance

Published on 31 August 2022

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The floods in Pakistan have had a horrifying impact — over 1,000 people dead and almost 33 million ‘displaced’, a simple word that couches the absolute devastation of people’s lives, homes, and everything they have worked for their whole life.

This is a climate change disaster, but it is not just about climate change. The Pakistan floods underscore incredibly well a fact that is now well established — natural disasters are not caused by nature, they are caused by humans (the UN has been saying this since the early 2000s and scientists since the 1990s ). This is because of the way we choose to live and spend, and what we choose not to spend on. Disasters, such as the current Pakistan floods, are therefore a failure of governance on multiple levels.

Displaced people leaving their flooded homes in Pakistan

No lessons learned

These floods are not unique in Pakistan. The country was terribly affected in 2010 and then again in 2011. There was very little time between the two to have learnt lessons. But there has now been a decade since the last devastation, and many expert opinions, such as this one from journalist Arifa Noor , suggest that no lessons have been learnt now either. This is the first failure of governance.

Economic crisis

Pakistan is now going to need lots of money to deal with this devastation, and lots will flow in too. Pakistani people are philanthropic and the global community has also been mobilised. However, the country itself is in the midst of an economic crisis that has required an IMF bailout and has made its economic survival dependent on tranche payments. Much of this has to do with a very low tax-GDP ratio, very high debt-GDP ratio, and a major trade deficit. All in all, production and exports are low, so the country spends more than the revenue it generates. This is not a new situation, and every government has pursued further loans rather than economic reform as a solution each time. The country has few resources to divert to this disaster, and if it does, it will sink further into debt. This is the second failure of governance.

Delayed action

There has also been delayed responses from the government. The devastation has continued for many days now and the floods began in mid-June but the formation of a new National Flood Response and Coordination Centre was announced as late as 29 August. It is not uncommon for governments to be slow to react. Back in 2005 in the immediate aftermath of the massive earthquake that struck the north of the country the government of the time was also slow : it took two days to create a military commission to coordinate relief work and two weeks to include civilians in decision-making. Luckily the NGO sector was quicker to respond: a group of 34 national and international NGOs came together to coordinate amongst them and with partners in the field, conducted rapid assessments within 24 hours and started rescue and relief operations (in some areas before the state). Many of these NGOs have now been restricted or thrown out of the country, based on a closing of civic spaces and the growing securitisation of governance . This is the third failure of governance.

Political polarisation

Underlying all this is the fourth failure of governance that is rarely connected to disasters or climate change — that of political polarisation and accountability. The links are easily drawn. Pakistan is a deeply polarised country with populist leaders. In April this year, ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan was removed through a vote of no-confidence. Both the new coalition government of Shahbaz Sharif and the opposition now led by Imran Khan have since focused on each other through corruption and terrorism charges rather than on the fact that there have been signs of an impending disaster at least since June.

Only this week, the chief ministers of the provinces ruled by the opposition did not attend the national flood emergency meeting called by the government to address the floods . Newspaper headlines, television channels, and social media feeds have similarly prioritised the political battles, scandals, and allegations. Pakistani voters need to hold their politicians to account, but this too is not possible in a polarised environment when what matters is not what is said, but who said it.

Global governance failure on climate mitigation

Despite all of the above, this has not just been a disaster of Pakistan’s making – “Since 1959, Pakistan has emitted about 0.4% of heat-trapping carbon dioxide, compared to 21.5% by the United States and 16.4% by China.” The world is interlinked and so a volcanic eruption in the north of Europe, a ship blocking the Suez canal, a subprime mortgage crisis in the USA, a war in Ukraine, or an unfettered industrial revolution 200 years ago that created an unsustainable culture of consumption, all impact us wherever we are. The larger ubiquitous fifth failure of governance is that of global governance and its inability to move faster on mitigating climate change.

The impact of the floods will be felt in Pakistan for a long time to come — in the loss of infrastructure, livelihoods, and crops, and in the implications for health and nutrition. The failures of governance above suggest that these issues will not receive the policy attention and resources that are required. Pakistan and the development community will need to think deeply about the governance crisis in the country, brought into tragic relief by the floods, to have a hope against climate crises that will keep coming.

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As we all know, climate change is a global crisis that knows no borders, and Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to its devastating consequences. Recent years have seen a surge in extreme weather events, including heatwaves, floods, and droughts, which have disrupted lives, destroyed infrastructure, and severely impacted the economy. The agricultural sector, the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, has suffered greatly due to shifting weather patterns and unreliable rainfall, leading to food security concerns and economic instability.

The melting glaciers in the northern regions pose another significant threat. These glaciers are vital sources of water for millions of people, and their decline not only affects water availability but also raises the risk of glacial lake outbursts, leading to potential disasters downstream.

It is imperative that we come together as a nation and as a global community to take immediate steps to combat climate change. Pakistan’s government, civil society, and citizens must work collaboratively. The time for action is now. Delaying efforts to combat climate change will only exacerbate its effects and jeopardise the well-being of current and future generations. Let’s rise above political, economic, and social differences and work towards a more sustainable and resilient Pakistan.

OMEMA IQBAL

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Between 1986 and 2015, temperatures in Pakistan rose by 0.3 °C per decade — higher than the global average. Researchers and public officials also say that other factors have probably added to ...
Climate crisis in Pakistan underscores need for investment in climate
ROME - As world leaders gather at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is calling on the international community to invest in building the resilience of vulnerable communities living on the frontlines of the climate crisis in Pakistan and other climate hotspots.
Pakistan's 'climate carnage beyond imagination', UN chief tells General
The people of Pakistan are the victims of "a grim calculus of climate injustice", Secretary-General António Guterres told the UN General Assembly on Friday, reminding that while the country was responsible for less than one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, it is paying a "supersized price for man-made climate change".
Pakistan Presses U.S. to Lead Global Response to Climate Disasters
Pakistan's unprecedented flood disaster is a wakeup call for governments and international institutions on the need to build a worldwide response to the disproportionate burden of climate change on nations of the Global South — a challenge that Pakistan's foreign minister underscored to U.S. officials and foreign policy analysts Wednesday at USIP. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari urged ...
CSSPR Policy Brief: A Systemic Approach of Climate Change Design
Download CSSPR Policy Brief - June 2023: A Systemic Approach of Climate Change Design Communication for Pakistan Authors: Dr. Rabia Akhtar, Director, CSSPR, Dr. Asif Amin, Research Fellow, CSSPR, and Muhammad Ahsan, Research Associate, CSSPR Pakistan is currently confronted with a wide array of challenges stemming from climate change, encompassing environmental degradation, natural ...
Climate Concerns: Pakistan's Environmental Challenges and Policy
The reconstruction needs for post-flood recovery are estimated to exceed $16 billion. Efforts led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the foreign minister of Pakistan, and Sherry Rehman, the climate change ...
Pakistan's floods are a failure of governance
Pakistan's floods are a failure of governance. The floods in Pakistan have had a horrifying impact — over 1,000 people dead and almost 33 million 'displaced', a simple word that couches the absolute devastation of people's lives, homes, and everything they have worked for their whole life. This is a climate change disaster, but it is ...
Essay Outline
Essay Outline_ Impacts of Climate Change on Pakistan as One of the Worst Hit Regions - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free.
Climate change in Pakistan
0. As we all know, climate change is a global crisis that knows no borders, and Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to its devastating consequences. Recent years have seen a surge in ...
Climate change and its impacts on Pakistan
#climatechange #ccpi2022 #floodsinpakistanFollowing topics has been covered in this video in detail:CCPI 2022Floods in Pakistan and IndiaUN projections abou...
Climate Change and Global Warming Full Essay For Css
Climate Change and global warming full essay for css - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or view presentation slides online. Climate Change and global warming full essay for css