As climate change worsens, extreme weather events will become more common and severe. They will also affect us differently than before. For example, heat waves will cause more deaths and injuries. At the same time, heavy rains and floods will lead to increased flooding and damage to infrastructure.
Recent floods in Pakistan are an apt example of this phenomenon. The death toll from floods and rain-related incidents has risen to 1,603. In contrast, 2.3 million people have been displaced, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in a statement.
Besides floods and heatwaves, Smog has become a visible problem in many Pakistani cities. Air pollution is a mix of industrial and vehicle emissions, burning trash, and open fires for cooking and heating. Smog season usually begins in October and continues through February.
It causes various health problems, including eye irritation, coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. It can also aggravate heart and lung conditions. Young children, the elderly, and people with chronic health conditions are especially vulnerable to the effects of Smog. This is not to talk about winter, which is predicted to be quite harsh due to climate change.
A recent study found that climate change has already caused $9.5 billion in damage to Pakistan’s infrastructure.
The devastating floods of 2022 have wreaked havoc on Pakistan’s economy, leaving the country in a state of emergency.
The floods have destroyed crops, inundated homes, and businesses, and disrupted transportation and communication infrastructure. The International Monetary Fund has also estimated that the floods will shave 2.5 percentage points off Pakistan’s GDP growth in 2022.
These floods had a widespread and far-reaching impact on our economy. The floods significantly reduced agricultural output, wiping off crops worth an estimated $3 billion. This loss of agricultural output is likely to lead to increased food prices, as Pakistan is a net food importer.
The manufacturing sector has also been hard hit, with factories being flooded and damaged by the waters. The tourism industry has been affected significantly, as many hotels, restaurants, and other businesses have been destroyed. The overall situation is quite alarming, but the question is, are we paying a considerate amount of attention to this issue as a Nation?
Despite having extreme climate change, including floods, droughts, and extreme weather events, Pakistan has been slow to act on climate change. The Pakistani government has only recently begun acknowledging the threat of climate change. In 2016, the government released its first-ever National Climate Change Policy. The policy outlines some actions Pakistan will take to address climate change, but critics say it does not go far enough. Additionally, the ruling government cannot be expected to do much in the wake of the unprecedented political upheaval. So what do we, as Pakistani, do in this regard? Let’s look at some practical and actionable solutions that can be adopted on individual levels.
As a Pakistani, I firmly believe we can achieve whatever goal we want as a nation. So, here are some things we can do to help fight climate change on an individual level:
To summarize the whole discussion, we can say that the sooner we reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the less severe the impacts will be. We need to support policies accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy and reducing emissions. We also need to adapt to the changes that are already underway. But most importantly, we need to act now.
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