UN Top Official Warns of Climate Risks in Pakistan

Shazia Mehboob 

Islamabad: Pakistan ranks among the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change, largely due to its vast northern glaciers, which are melting as air temperatures increase.

Additionally, warmer air can retain more moisture, leading to more intense monsoon rains.

These insights were shared by Mohamed Yahya, the United Nations newly appointed Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, during a meet and greet event with journalists covering human rights issues in Islamabad on Thursday.

The top UN official has warned that the upcoming monsoon season in Pakistan, expected to bring unusually heavy rains, could affect an estimated 200,000 people.

In response, the United Nations, working with local authorities, has developed a contingency plan with $40 million allocated for emergency response, informed Mohamed Yahya.

Mohamed Yahya told reporters that meteorologists in Pakistan predict higher-than-average rainfall in the upcoming weeks. 

However, the precipitation is not expected to reach the intensity of 2022, when catastrophic floods claimed 1,739 lives, demolished 2 million homes, and submerged nearly one-third of the country at its peak.

The UN’s senior official noted that Pakistan’s weather patterns have shifted in recent years, prompting cities to bolster their infrastructure and farmers to modify their practices.

The floods of 2022 inflicted over $30 billion in damage on Pakistan’s already financially strained economy.

Until recently, public opinion and even some government officials paid scant attention to the potential adverse effects of climate change on everyday life.

Analysts and government officials assert that Pakistan has struggled to meet economic growth targets in recent years due to recurrent man-made disasters. These include droughts, heatwaves, and heavy rains that have significantly impaired the country’s road network, bridges, power systems, and other infrastructure.

Pakistan argues that despite its contribution of less than 1 percent to global carbon emissions, it disproportionately suffers from global climate disasters. This year, Pakistan experienced its highest April rainfall since 1961, with more than double the typical monthly precipitation.

Rising Flood Risk

Pakistan faces severe challenges from climate change, significantly impacting its vulnerability to natural disasters. The country, heavily reliant on monsoon rains and the Indus Basin’s glaciers, is prone to floods and droughts, exacerbated by projected temperature increases. 

Recent-past floods in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan have inflicted substantial human, infrastructural, and agricultural damage, straining national finances and security. 

Climate change-induced extreme weather events, glacier recession in the Hindu Kush-Karakoram Himalayas, and intensified rainfall causing dam siltation pose additional risks.

Rising temperatures contribute to heatwaves and water scarcity, impacting public health and economic stability. 

Amid globalization and evolving security paradigms, addressing climate impacts is crucial for safeguarding the country’s interests in the face of global and domestic challenges.

But addressing these issues requires unified national strategies and constitutional reforms to enhance resilience and crisis response capabilities across provinces.

Additional input from The Washington Post 

Photo Credit Munir Ahmed