Climate Change and its impacts in Pakistan

The environmental and climate change impacts in Pakistan are crucial to urban development, which is strongly related to its rural development as well, where migratory trends, the growth and dynamism of its large agriculture sector and the quality of public service delivery in rural areas strongly impact the character of Pakistani settlements. The ongoing climate crisis manifested devastatingly in the form of torrential flooding, adds another layer of urgency with which decision-makers in the country need to plan and achieve their urban development objectives. Last year, the majority of the people lost their lives, over a third of Pakistani settlements including villages and towns have drowned, or been washed away and resultantly in being displaced or losing their sources of livelihood. Pakistan’s economy is based on the agriculture sector which is one of the most vulnerable factors crucial to climate change, as it relates to certain aspects such as temperature, precipitation, soil erosion, etc, as the country is facing a serious threat to the development potential of its peoples, their ability to live in safe and secure cities and the relationship with which they interact with their natural environment. In the world’s most populous regions, specifically in South Asia, rising temperatures, uneven precipitation patterns, floods, droughts, and other climatic disasters have had an impact on both socioeconomic sectors and human life. From migration patterns and urban infrastructure to food security and the integrity of its agricultural economy, the country’s entire development trajectory is closely related to the ongoing climate change-induced floods. Patterns of industrial growth, infrastructure development and heritage preservation to are closely linked to our ability to mitigate and adapt to the consequences of climate change and its impact on our habitats.

·Extreme weather: Pakistan is experiencing more frequent and intense extreme weather events, such as cyclones, floods, droughts, and heavy rain spells. In 2022, catastrophic floods hit the country, affecting 33 million people. 

· Rising temperatures: Pakistan's average temperature is increasing, leading to hotter days and more intense heatwaves. 

· Environmental degradation: Pakistan is experiencing environmental degradation. 

· Air pollution: Pakistan is experiencing air pollution. 

· Sea level rise: Global warming causes sea level rise, which is adding to the stress on Pakistan. 

· Mental health: Climate disasters can cause mental health struggles, but mental health is a stigmatized topic in Pakistan

It is not unknown to the developmental sector that Pakistan is “one of the top ten most vulnerable countries to climate change”- but the socio-political order fails to raise the right questions and develop a functional mechanism through which Pakistan’s climate response is depoliticized and made people-centric. Reactive decision-making continues to dominate our response to environmental disasters like the recent floods, resulting in a passivity that allows the status quo to remain. Relief efforts, significantly managed and led by non-governmental entities, are amped up as a natural disaster hits, followed by a gradual decline in attention and prioritization towards building climate resilience.