ISLAMABAD: Climate change is expected to significantly impact water-dependent sectors in Pakistan such as agriculture and industry, says the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The ADB in a latest report, "Climate change, coming soon to a court near you national climate change legal frameworks in Asia and the Pacific" stated that Pakistan has faced extreme weather events, including droughts, floods, cyclones, heat waves, and glacial lake outbursts, weakening property, livelihoods, and economic growth.
Climate change projections predict average temperature warming in the region to exceed the global mean, affecting the timing and strength of monsoon rainfall.
As of 2015, Pakistan ranked 135th in the world on per capita greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 31st on total GHG emissions.
Climate change is expected to significantly impact water-dependent sectors such as agriculture and industry.
It further stated that Pakistan pledges to reduce as much as 20 percent of its projected GHG emissions by 2030, conditional upon international grant availability.
Pakistan also aims to increase forest cover from six percent to 10 percent by 2030, including through large-scale tree plantation programmes.
It stated that Pakistan employs a combination of legislation and policies to address climate change.
Most recently, the government passed the Climate Change Act, 2017, to meet Pakistan's international climate obligations and ensure the adoption of effective adaptation and mitigation policies and programmes. The act created the Pakistan Climate Change Council, led by the prime minister, which is responsible for all climate-related tasks.
Specifically, the council's roles include (i) supervising and coordinating enforcement; (ii) overseeing the implementation of international agreements that concern climate change; (iii) facilitating the integration of climate change-related concerns into governmental decision-making; (iv) approving and monitoring the implementation of policies surrounding mitigation and adaptation, including those in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals; (v) monitoring the implementation of Pakistan's National Adaptation Plan, Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action Framework, and National Communication to the UNFCCC Secretariat; and (vi) overseeing guidelines surrounding biodiversity, habitat, and resource protection.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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