Climate Crisis Threatens Pakistan’s Food Security: Experts

APP
Islamabad: Amidst competing priorities exacerbated by a deepening climate crisis, addressing food security has become an urgent human security challenge, emphasized Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI). He made these remarks during a seminar titled “Climate Change and Impacts on the National Security of Pakistan,” jointly organized by SDPI.
Suleri highlighted that Pakistan faces severe threats to its national, socio-economic, and macro-economic stability due to climate change. Citing global statistics, he noted that Pakistan ranks 14th for economic losses and 25th for economic losses per unit GDP caused by climate-related events.
Ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel, Chairperson of the SDPI Board of Governors, emphasized the effectiveness of the Indus Water Treaty in promoting water security and preventing water-related conflicts between India and Pakistan. However, he pointed out that while India has developed numerous hydropower projects on rivers like the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab, the agreed-upon water capacity has not been fully realized.
Kakakhel warned that with climate change exacerbating water insecurity and diplomatic efforts stalled, the risk of water-driven conflicts between the two countries is growing. He called for intervention from organizations like the Asian Development Bank and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development to engage in multi-crisis diplomacy and facilitate peaceful resolutions to these emerging crises.
Ambassador Nadeem Riyaz, President of the Institute of Regional Studies, underscored the importance of employing dialogues, working groups, sharing water data, regulatory treaties, and collaboration among think tanks to navigate the challenging diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan. He emphasized that a sustainable solution to the crisis cannot be achieved without genuine political will and effective diplomacy.
Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, a Climate Change Specialist, emphasized the indispensability of multilateral diplomacy in resolving the water crisis, asserting that national water management efforts alone are insufficient. He advocated for separating climate issues from political tensions, arguing that otherwise, progress would be hindered by security concerns and border disputes.
Aisha Khan, Executive Director of the Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change (CSCCC), proposed three key considerations for national security: aligning food, water, and population dynamics; transitioning towards regenerative agriculture practices; and adopting research-supported agricultural approaches. She highlighted the growing threat of stunting and wasting as significant obstacles to development.
Dr Iqrar Ahmed Khan, Vice Chancellor of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, emphasized the necessity of transitioning from traditional flooded irrigation methods to vertical hydroponic agriculture and mechanized farming. He suggested that genetically modified crops could play a pivotal role in addressing water wastage, as well as tackling food and climate-related challenges.
Dr Imran Khalid, the Director of Governance at the World Wildlife Fund Pakistan, emphasized that climate change represents a failure in both development and governance. He pointed out that weak urban planning and governance contribute to the suffering of the masses, with issues such as inadequate water supply infrastructure and low wastewater treatment capacity leading to contamination of groundwater and drinking water. Khalid highlighted the doubling of water consumption due to population growth and the continuation of water-intensive cropping like rice, which results in virtual water exports. He stressed the importance of addressing the…