CLIMATE change is a pressing reality for Pakistan, directly impacting millions of lives. Ranked as the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change despite contributing just 0.88 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan faces a dire crisis with severe implications.

The far-reaching effects of climate change in Pakistan underscore the urgency of the issue. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, frequent floods, droughts, and glacial melting have become the norm. Between 1960 and today, the average temperature in Pakistan has risen by 0.5°C, with projections suggesting an additional 1.3°C to 1.5°C rise by 2050.

This increase has translated into economic losses of over $40 billion from floods alone, such as those experienced in 2022, which claimed over 1,700 lives and injured 12,000 others. By 2044, an estimated five million Pakistanis will be exposed to extreme river floods annually. Coastal areas, too, face heightened vulnerability, with one million people expected to be affected by rising sea levels and coastal flooding by the century’s end.

Extreme weather events result in catastrophic challenges, especially for rural communities, as they disrupt livelihoods, disturb academic activities, displace families, and increase the prevalence of waterborne and........

© Dawn Business