Climate Change a Disaster

(Muhammad Saeed, Lahore)

Nature is wild don`t mess with it. Climate change is a most advanced threat to the planet we as mankind have established in the name of advancement, perhaps. The warming of the climate at a global level is not undeniable now. Today, many factors are contributing to it, chiefly in the form of air annihilation by exhaling catastrophic substances, even though we know that we cannot live without it. One of the greatest pressures exerted on climate is by GHGs (greenhouse gases) without which we cannot survive, and perpetuate our development even further. Pakistan is a country of circumstances from the very first day, so challenges are not new. But one of the most prevalent current threats for the country is vulnerability to climate change. Pakistan among the emitters of GHGs is on 135th number, with the domestic energy sector comprising of half of emissions (50%), and even though the country is currently producing 0.8% of the global GHGs emissions, we are still at risk because of the interconnected nature of the issue.

Agriculture constitutes the largest sector of Pakistan`s economy, which is climate sensitive, and it contributes about 24% of the total GDP (gross domestic product) and the majority of the population is attached with it straightly or circuitously. Due to high population there is already a stress on land, and natural resources are leading to severe degradation, and because of the additional pressure of climate is difficult to maintain these assets. Furthermore, large swathes of soil in Pakistan are being subjected to land degradation because of the following factors: water erosion (17%), wind erosion (8%), and salinity (9%). According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO) about 986,000 hectares standing crops were adversely affected by the 2014 monsoon rains. Further, the irrigation system is more acutely affected over flooding and intensive rain during summer.

Consequently, the number of disasters in Pakistan is 707 a year doubled from 1990s. Pakistani rivers are mainly dominated by the Hindu Kush, Himalaya, and Karakorum mountain ranges. Due to rise in temperatures, the glacier of Siachen lost its 17% ice mass. Due to high points of melting water flows – since Pakistan does not have enough infrastructure to manage such water - this creates disaster in the most populated, advanced, and agricultural province of the country, Punjab. In summer 2010, according to governmental data, 20 million people were directly affected by the flood, making it the most disastrous flood in the history of Pakistan. Additionally, the Public building damage was about 1 billion USD, and the flood covered the whole landmass till the Indus Basin end. Worryingly, the temperature range of 1960 to 2007 was 0.24 degrees per decade, which is globally high enough to increase the temperatures in Pakistani territory about 2 to 3 Degree Celsius within the next few years.

Climate change also affects economies and developmental growth of countries. According to the Climate Risk Index, Pakistan lost 2,183.10 million USD, and the GDP was slowed down at a rate of 0.73during last few years. It is thus a great sign of worry for the leadership in Pakistan to lose such capital and suffer developmental decline, since we are a small and developing state. Growing use of fossil fuels in the energy sector and transport, rapid industrialization is also a matter of concern for Pakistanis.

Deforestation is on peak, timber mafia is currently a strongest and most advances threat to a green life of Pakistan. Rapid urbanization is reducing forests as the population needs to be placed on the spots of trees. Environmental protection agency of Pakistan is nerved down in front of political and governmental demi gods.

As per conservative estimates, Pakistan needs 1 billion rupees a day to overcome its pollution anomalies according to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Rise in sea level, coastal erosion. Heat-waves are also a major cause of climatic change contributing in this dilemma of demolition with result of 12000 causalities till today. The National Climate Policy was introduced, but was duly shelved afterwards. It is now a global consensus that development have to be sustainable, and renewable resources should be used in place of non-renewable resources to compete in this world society.

 Reforestation is critically needed in country otherwise weather, and climatic conditions will be prove hell for Pakistanis. Almost 23 billion tress are needed to be replanted in country wide areas to make a mysterious Pakistan again a good one. To maintain a healthy living environment, there has to be a climate adaptation strategy, proper infrastructure, and a superlative irrigation system, to get healthy green-lands again. Not only humans are suffering from these conditions climate change is also related to the economy, and it will this time gave a big blow to Pakistan`s economy who is already suffering.
 

Muhammad Saeed
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