Daily Times

Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry, formerly of the meteorological department, confirmed that Pakistan has been plagued with extreme weather events in the past few decades, with an incremental increase in drought conditions and intense rainfall. Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that glaciers are melting in the northern regions of Pakistan, affecting freshwater supplies. Coupled with the aforementioned threats the case for climate change mitigation is quite solid. It appears Pakistan has made some headway in terms of dealing with climate change and environmental conservation. It boasts an Environmental Protection Act (1997), National Conservation Policy formulated in the early 1990s, a National Environment Policy (2004/5) and a Climate Change Taskforce formed in 2008. However, these initiatives have done little to turn the tide and conserve vital ecosystems, principally due to a lack of will to implement them in a way that is conducive to the population and environment. Thereby, these provisions have failed to react to the threat of climate change in any meaningful way. Moreover, the Strategic Environmental Assessment of 2006 illustrated the links between economic capability and environmental degradation, listing the current water supply and sanitation facilities as culprits seriously impacting Pakistan’s gross domestic product (GDP). As an adherent to the Kyoto Protocol, Pakistan has existing obligations to stabilise greenhouse emissions. It is also a signatory to principal international environmental treaties such as the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992) that endorse positive actions to combat the effects of global warming and protect its natural heritage. Whilst all this indicates that Pakistan, in spirit, does conform to the principles of environmental conservation and protection, in practice it lags far behind. But climate change policies are an opportunity for Pakistan to facilitate desperate improvements by ensuring that energy supply becomes more equitable as well as addressing necessities such as food, agriculture and water resources.

Pakistan, quite belatedly, in May 2011 approved a draft of the country’s first National Climate Change Policy, partly in response to the 2010 floods. Despite existing legal provisions and statutes in place, there was a deficit in that Pakistan lacked a comprehensive climate change policy that would discuss mitigation (the United Nations defines this as “a human intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases…examples include expanding forests and switching to solar energy”) and adaptation strategies (“adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects”). The policy endorses the involvement of educational establishments and institutes with a spotlight on disaster risk management. The draft’s recommendations promote alternative energy and efficient fuel technology, which would go some way towards managing the electricity network in Pakistan. But what is lacking is an analytical framework that takes into account socio-economic dynamics. No doubt, implementation will be an issue — it is high time Pakistan halts its green-washing antics to appease critics. Climate change will change the way people live, many of whom depend on the environment for their livelihoods as well as altering the security constellations and allegiances in the region. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) believes “combating climate change will be a central peace policy of the 21st century”. Pakistan cannot afford to sideline such testimonials given its own precarious geopolitical position. Pakistan cannot remain on the fringes of the climate debate — the environmental movement needs to gain momentum, and urgently work in a progressive direction, one that prizes inclusivity and engagement with the population.

Increase in temperature will lead to greater health hazards and increase in pollution, especially in the main cities, will worsen the already erratic energy and electrical supply, affect agricultural output (ranging from textiles to fisheries), food production, cause the loss of biodiversity and displacement whereby large scale migration will take place within Pakistan, beyond the borders and even across the Asian continent. These trends will interact with each other as a result of current changes in the environment due in part to ecosystem mismanagement, in turn intensifying the danger of unchecked climatic changes. The consequences will be depleted natural resources and potential conflict borne from scarcity and huge population movements all of which will shake the core of Pakistan.

In short, if Pakistan fails to manage its natural environment, promote sustainable methods of living and endorse greener development, the country is jeopardising its very survival. The threat and consequences of climate change are imminent, but if we act now there is hope that with diligent management and mitigation certain threats can be eliminated.

There will always be capacity constraints but these should not stop policy frameworks from being formulated, discussed and applied. The year 2010 saw climate change become a reality for the oblivious population of Pakistan and exposed how ill equipped the country is to deal with a natural disaster. The effects were felt at all levels of society, although much depends on political will to implement meaningful policy. The people of Pakistan are not without resources and much can be done if people were educated on environmental issues and environmentally sustainable ways of living. Indeed, the ways of our forefathers have much to teach us — by conserving and respecting the natural environment and by using resources in an economical fashion rather than wastage (of food, water, livestock). They worked in harmony with the environment, something that has been lost in the liberal market age whereby people are all too eager to give in to the vices of globalisation and self-serving needs.

(Concluded)

Qamar-uz-Zaman
Chaudhry, formerly of the meteorological department, confirmed that Pakistan has been plagued with extreme weather events in the past few decades, with an incremental increase in drought conditions and intense rainfall. Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that glaciers are melting in the northern regions of Pakistan, affecting freshwater supplies. Coupled with the aforementioned threats the case for climate change mitigation is quite solid. It appears Pakistan has made some headway in terms of dealing with climate change and environmental conservation. It boasts an Environmental Protection Act (1997), National Conservation Policy formulated in the early 1990s, a National Environment Policy (2004/5) and a Climate Change Taskforce formed in 2008. However, these initiatives have done little to turn the tide and conserve vital ecosystems, principally due to a lack of will to implement them in a way that is conducive to the population and environment. Thereby, these provisions have failed to react to the threat of climate change in any meaningful way. Moreover, the Strategic Environmental Assessment of 2006 illustrated the links between economic capability and environmental degradation, listing the current water supply and sanitation facilities as culprits seriously impacting Pakistan’s gross domestic product (GDP). As an adherent to the Kyoto Protocol, Pakistan has existing obligations to stabilise greenhouse emissions. It is also a signatory to principal international environmental treaties such as the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992) that endorse positive actions to combat the effects of global warming and protect its natural heritage. Whilst all this indicates that Pakistan, in spirit, does conform to the principles of environmental conservation and protection, in practice it lags far behind. But climate change policies are an opportunity for Pakistan to facilitate desperate improvements by ensuring that energy supply becomes more equitable as well as addressing necessities such as food, agriculture and water resources.

Pakistan, quite belatedly, in May 2011 approved a draft of the country’s first National Climate Change Policy, partly in response to the 2010 floods. Despite existing legal provisions and statutes in place, there was a deficit in that Pakistan lacked a comprehensive climate change policy that would discuss mitigation (the United Nations defines this as “a human intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases…examples include expanding forests and switching to solar energy”) and adaptation strategies (“adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects”). The policy endorses the involvement of educational establishments and institutes with a spotlight on disaster risk management. The draft’s recommendations promote alternative energy and efficient fuel technology, which would go some way towards managing the electricity network in Pakistan. But what is lacking is an analytical framework that takes into account socio-economic dynamics. No doubt, implementation will be an issue — it is high time Pakistan halts its green-washing antics to appease critics. Climate change will change the way people live, many of whom depend on the environment for their livelihoods as well as altering the security constellations and allegiances in the region. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) believes “combating climate change will be a central peace policy of the 21st century”. Pakistan cannot afford to sideline such testimonials given its own precarious geopolitical position. Pakistan cannot remain on the fringes of the climate debate — the environmental movement needs to gain momentum, and urgently work in a progressive direction, one that prizes inclusivity and engagement with the population.

Increase in temperature will lead to greater health hazards and increase in pollution, especially in the main cities, will worsen the already erratic energy and electrical supply, affect agricultural output (ranging from textiles to fisheries), food production, cause the loss of biodiversity and displacement whereby large scale migration will take place within Pakistan, beyond the borders and even across the Asian continent. These trends will interact with each other as a result of current changes in the environment due in part to ecosystem mismanagement, in turn intensifying the danger of unchecked climatic changes. The consequences will be depleted natural resources and potential conflict borne from scarcity and huge population movements all of which will shake the core of Pakistan.

In short, if Pakistan fails to manage its natural environment, promote sustainable methods of living and endorse greener development, the country is jeopardising its very survival. The threat and consequences of climate change are imminent, but if we act now there is hope that with diligent management and mitigation certain threats can be eliminated.

There will always be capacity constraints but these should not stop policy frameworks from being formulated, discussed and applied. The year 2010 saw climate change become a reality for the oblivious population of Pakistan and exposed how ill equipped the country is to deal with a natural disaster. The effects were felt at all levels of society, although much depends on political will to implement meaningful policy. The people of Pakistan are not without resources and much can be done if people were educated on environmental issues and environmentally sustainable ways of living. Indeed, the ways of our forefathers have much to teach us — by conserving and respecting the natural environment and by using resources in an economical fashion rather than wastage (of food, water, livestock). They worked in harmony with the environment, something that has been lost in the liberal market age whereby people are all too eager to give in to the vices of globalisation and self-serving needs.

(Concluded)

The writer is a doctoral student at the University of Sussex and can be contacted at s_raza84@yahoo.co.uk