Daily Times

Climate Change is a serious global challenge. The impacts are being visible in the form of natural calamities and catastrophes, which is badly affecting human lives around the world. Deforestation, melting glaciers, rise in sea level and rapid urbanisation all contribute to climate change. There is little doubt that pollution, industrialisation and deforestation have added to climatic woes, producing abundant amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the environment.

According to recent data on GHG emissions from 2011 to 2015, China and USA are among world’s top emitters of carbon dioxide. Pakistan is on 137th number and contributing only 0.47 percent in global GHG emissions, but it is consistently ranked among the countries that have harmful effects of climate change, owing to its natural climatic conditions. Over the years, Pakistan has been experiencing severe weather patterns, killing countless people and wiping out acres of farmland across the country. Germanwatch, an international think tank, has warned that Pakistan is among the top 10 countries most at risk due to climate change.

The year 2015 was a terrible year for Pakistan; salinity of coastal areas, deadly heat wave, mangroves depletion, hazardous cyclone and floods were devastating repercussions of climate change in the country. In Karachi alone, over 1,200 people lost their lives due to last year’s deadly heat wave. Furthermore, with the rise in temperature around the country and mangrove forest depletion across the coast, the National Institute of Oceanography has warned that there is clear danger that Karachi could drown in next 35-45 years. According to the experts, if climate change is not taken seriously the resulting damage will be irreversible and unimaginable for the country.

Considering the forewarning we must look at factors that can help reduce the effect of climate change in a country like Pakistan. As per experts plantation is a requirement in and around the country to mitigate the effects of climate change. Pakistan is one of the low forest cover countries with only five percent of land area under forests and tree cover. In spite of the lowest percentage of forests in the country, deforestation continues to take place countrywide, causing massive floods across the country. Given the circumstances immediate measures are required to counter climate change in Pakistan. Primarily, massive mangrove plantation should be conducted along the coastal areas of Pakistan to mitigate looming threats due to climate change. According to the Climate Change Policy 2012, plantation of mangrove forest prevents soil erosion and minimises the disastrous impact of cyclones and tsunamis.

Mangroves act as natural barriers in protecting coastal communities and urban centres against tsunamis and floods. The Indus Delta and Arabian Sea around the coast of Karachi and Pasni in Balochistan are lined with mangrove vegetation. The initiative is carried out under WWF’s Global City Challenge aiming to increase green footprint in the metropolis. The successful implementation of this initiative will save the city from massive floods and tsunamis.

Every now and then, trees are being cut down for different purposes, resulting in the imbalance of the ecosystem, which poses threats not only to human life but biodiversity as well. It is imperative for government to recognise the severity of climate risk and environmental protection. With the launch of the Green Pakistan Programme by federal government and the ongoing Billion Tree Tsunami campaign in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one is hopeful that these initiatives will assist in reducing the severity of climate change across the country.

However, federal government needs to realise that such initiatives demand dedication to produce fruitful results in the long run. If policies merely remain on paper, and are not put into implementation, they will not serve any purpose. Having said that, efforts should also be made to cut down on carbon gas emissions and strict measures need to be taken against industries that dump their toxic wastes into open-air areas or sea. Deforestation should be discouraged at all levels to avoid floods. Civil society must show a sense of responsibility, and play its vital role in diminishing carbon emissions in the environment.

The writer is a freelance columnist and a blogger. She is a former field reporter, and is currently working as a content writer at a public relations agency. She blogs at writerlogophile.wordpress.com, and can be reached on twitter at @mistful83