Climate Change as National Security Challenge

Shazia Mehboob 

Islamabad: Pakistan is increasingly at the forefront of nations grappling with the severe impacts of climate change. The country’s dependence on monsoon rains and the Indus Basin glaciers renders it highly vulnerable to climate-induced disasters.

Recent floods in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan, which have caused over $30 billion in damages, underscore the immense strain on the nation’s finances and the threat to its socio-economic stability and national security.

Erratic monsoons, intense flooding, prolonged droughts, and rising temperatures are exacerbating water shortages, heatwaves, and glacier melting in the Hindu Kush-Karakoram-Himalayan region. 

These climate-induced phenomena have dire consequences: increased flood risks, silting of major dams, the spread of viral diseases, and worsening fog and smog, all leading to significant human and economic losses.

Pakistan’s 2021 climate change policy acknowledges these issues, yet the response has been insufficient. Climate change affects nearly every aspect of Pakistani society—from natural disasters and crisis management to food security, energy security, public health, infrastructure, education, human capital development, and cybersecurity.

Addressing these multifaceted challenges requires a comprehensive approach to national security that prioritizes human.

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The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) highlighted the importance of human security in 1994, yet Pakistan has been slow to integrate this perspective into its national security strategy.

Traditionally, security studies have focused on military threats, but the increasing frequency and severity of climate-induced events—floods, droughts, heatwaves, and rapidly melting glaciers—pose critical threats to socio-economic stability that demand a paradigm shift.

Historical data illustrate Pakistan’s vulnerability: the devastating floods of 2010, 2011, 1992, 1973, and 1976, alongside the catastrophic earthquakes of 2005 and 2013, have inflicted immense loss of life, displaced millions, and caused billions in damage.

These events, coupled with cyclones, storms, droughts, landslides, and avalanches, highlight the urgent need for a robust national strategy.

Unfortunately, climate change is often treated as a provincial issue in Pakistan, reflecting a fragmented approach that inadequately addresses the nationwide implications. This fragmented response is insufficient for managing the complex and interconnected risks posed by climate change.

To effectively address these threats, Pakistan needs to adopt a unified national approach. Constitutional reforms are vital to embedding climate change into the national security framework, ensuring a coordinated and effective response on a permanent basis.

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Shifting the focus from traditional military threats to human security and incorporating climate change into the national security strategy is crucial for mitigating its severe impacts and securing a sustainable future for the nation.

As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, Pakistan faces escalating socio-economic challenges and political instability. This underscores the urgent need to reevaluate national security priorities and recognize climate change as a critical national security issue.

Only through a unified approach can Pakistan hope to navigate the complex interplay between climate change and national security, safeguarding its future and stability.

The writer is a freelance investigative journalist and editor of the PenPK.com. She tweets @thePenPK.