Some of the main authorities on environmental issues converged in Islamabad last week to talk about the urgent nature of the climatic crisis in Pakistan. Together with these experts at the Breathe Pakistan conference in Dawnmedia, they also established both the scale of the challenge and the action required to overcome it.
Pakistan faces what the judge of the Supreme Court Mansoor Ali Shah calls a “dual injustice”, which has a disproportionate burden of climatic impacts, while lacking the structural capacity to respond. The results of the conference were sobering. Pakistan needs $ 40-50 billion annually until 2050 for climatic adaptation, however, current flows are equivalent to just an eighth of that.
The World Bank Climate Chief Valerie Hickey stressed that, although 70 % of global climatic finances are destined for mitigation, Pakistan’s pressing need is adaptation. Even more worrying, less than 20pc of total climatic finance reaches the global south, where more is needed.
Some bright points emerged. Punjab has assigned RS100BN for climate resilience and RS10BN specifically for smog mitigation. KP forests serve as a carbon sink, eliminating half of Pakistan’s carbon emissions. The Uraan Pakistan initiative of the center promises to integrate climate resilience in energy and development planning. But these efforts, although commendable, are eclipsed by the scale of the challenge. The result of inaction is already visible. We lost 97 school days due to climatic interruptions in 2023-24.
The Indo, the lifeguard of Pakistan, is now the second most contaminated plastic river in the world. Air pollution alone causes 128,000 deaths annually, reducing life expectancy in 3.9 years and costs the economy billions. By 2050, almost half of the agricultural lands of Pakistan could become inadequate for agriculture.
The conference crystallized three imperatives. First, climatic finances must be restructured. The call of the Minister of Finance for the most predictable, flexible and subsidy support reflects frustration with the current mechanisms. Second, regional cooperation is essential. Pakistan’s initiative to commit to India in cross -border air pollution is a promising beginning. Third, the mobilization of national resources must improve; We cannot expect help abroad while our glaciers melt and crops fail.
The road is clear, if it is discouraging. We must optimize our climatic governance, implement the delayed provisions of the Climate Change Law and create promised institutions such as the Climate Change Authority. The private sector must be better encouraged to help find climatic solutions.
The media also have a vital role. When moving from disaster reports to journalism oriented to solutions, it can involve the public and hold the political leaders responsible. It must also break the jargon that often makes effective climate communication difficult. The conference has shown the way. The question is whether the country can call the political will, both local and international, and resources to follow it.
Posted in Dawn, February 9, 2025
