KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MNA Dr Sharmila Farooqui said on Sunday that it is high time that all stakeholders should come forward with a positive approach to tackle climate change that is badly affecting the country’s food systems, public health and infrastructure.
“The government is already tackling climate change with its available sources; however, stakeholders including government representatives, businesses, scientists, landowners, and local users of natural resources need to jointly contribute to the ongoing efforts to counter climate change effects by planting more and more trees besides generating and using solar energy which is easy and best way to counter the climate change,” she said in a statement pertaining to ongoing warming affecting Pakistan and its people.
She said: “Ongoing wave of extreme heat is affecting 26 districts of the country, and more severe heat waves will hit the country hard in June. Glaciers are rapidly melting while sea level is rising. The Pakistan has temporarily shut down schools in most parts of the country to protect children from heatstroke and dehydration due to an ongoing climate-induced heat wave.”
“Devastating floods in 2022 left a trail of destruction across the country, claiming the lives of more than 1,100 people. The flooding in Pakistan caused $14.9 billion in damages and $15.2 billion in economic losses. Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year in the world including Pakistan,” she said.
Sharmila informed that Pakistan is ranked as the 5th most vulnerable country to climate change, even though the share of contribution of Pakistan in terms of emissions is far less as compared to other developed and developing countries. Earlier, such ranking was 10th, which has turned worse and severe. In view of this, government needs to make more investment in climate change projects so as to save food systems and public health.
Sharmila said Pakistan is frequently plagued by heat waves, droughts, river and flash floods, landslides, rainstorms, and cyclones. The impact of climate change has the potential to initiate extensive and potent negative feedback loops that affect both livelihoods and public health, Sharmila said.
She said that the entire region where Pakistan is located is prone to extreme weather events, in particular, heavy rainfalls and flooding during monsoon season. The government also needs to develop appropriate measures like projects, programmes and plans to protect the most vulnerable population. At the same time, Pakistan needs to require international assistance as the major contributor to climate change are developed countries, but not Pakistan and we are suffering from their carbon emission, she noted.
“Climate change poses serious challenges to social, environmental and developmental activities, and leads to migration within and across national borders. The effects of global climate change in Pakistan are already evident in the form of growing frequency of droughts, floods, erratic weather behaviour, changes in agricultural patterns, reduction in fresh water supply and the loss of biodiversity,” the PPP MNA said.
She said that mitigating and adapting actions are considered to be the two key ways of combating climate change, adding the immediate and pressing task for the country is to prepare itself for adaptation to climate change.
She said that Unfortunately, climatic conditions, rural poverty, dependence on natural resources, meagre forest cover, and deforestation have rendered the country as one of the most vulnerable to climate change effects, hence, there is a need to raise forest cover to 33% of total country land from existing 5%.
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