The industrial development and technological advancement that the world is proud of today are based on the smell of gunpowder, toxic smoke from chimneys, and environmentally harmful gases. Over the past few decades, the economic giants and developed countries have ruthlessly polluted the planet’s environment by joining the blind race for industrial development. All humanity, especially underdeveloped and developing countries, is suffering the consequences today. This is the biggest contradiction and the most serious tragedy of the 21st century: those whose share in carbon emissions is negligible are standing on the front line of environmental disaster, while those responsible for such disasters remain oblivious to the consequences.

Pakistan is a developing country that faces environmental injustice by being listed among the 15 most vulnerable to climate change, despite having lower greenhouse emissions and insufficient climate finance funding to support rehabilitation activities in climate disaster-affected Karakoram and Hindu Kush-Himalaya regions. According to the Climate Risk Index, Pakistan contributes less than one per cent, about 0.9 per cent, of global carbon emissions, but it always tops the list of countries facing the deadly effects of climate change. It is such an irony that it has put Pakistan’s economy, agriculture, infrastructure and human lives at serious risk. Pakistan is not being punished for its actions, but is........

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