Pakistan’s Climate Defense

Shazia Mehboob 

Islamabad: In a stark and urgent appeal, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has underscored the severe consequences of extreme heat and climate change. With global temperatures soaring, the impacts on health, economies, and infrastructure are becoming increasingly catastrophic.

This warning follows unprecedented heatwaves, including the tragic loss of over 1,300 lives during the Hajj and a notable rise in heat-related deaths among the elderly. 

Immediate action is crucial, especially in countries like Pakistan, where the intersection of climate change, public health crises, and socio-economic instability presents a complex and urgent challenge.

Pakistan, already grappling with frequent natural disasters and extreme weather events, including melting glaciers and heavy rains, finds itself at the forefront of this crisis. 

Recent floods in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan have caused over $30 billion in damages, displacing millions and exacerbating socio-economic instability. 

This stark reality underscores the need for a robust and integrated approach to manage both immediate and long-term impacts of climate change.

The UN Secretary-General’s call for enhanced cooling technologies and financial support to protect vulnerable populations highlights a critical gap in global climate response strategies. 

Pakistan’s unique challenges—erratic monsoons, prolonged droughts, and rising temperatures—require a similarly comprehensive and coordinated approach.

However, the fragmented management of these issues at the provincial level, following the 18th Amendment, risks undermining the effectiveness of national climate and disaster response strategies.

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The 1994 UNDP theory of “human security” and insights from environmental security theorist Thomas Homer-Dixon point to a crucial shift in how security should be understood.

Traditional security measures, focused primarily on state-centric threats, are inadequate in addressing the multifaceted nature of climate change and its effects on human security. 

For Pakistan, this means reassessing national security policies to include climate resilience and disaster preparedness as central elements. 

The principle of environmental security emphasizes that climate change can exacerbate resource scarcity, leading to conflict and instability.

Pakistan’s vulnerability to such dynamics is evident, with climate-induced flooding and droughts threatening both human lives, in a country with over 220 million population, and infrastructure. 

The melting of glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Karakoram-Himalayan region further compounds this issue, increasing the risk of flooding and sedimentation in major dams. Addressing these risks effectively also requires a unified national strategy that transcends provincial boundaries.

One key aspect of improving Pakistan’s response to climate change is re-evaluating the division of responsibilities established by the 18th Amendment. 

While provincial autonomy is crucial, the scale of climate-related challenges calls for a coordinated national response. This may necessitate constitutional reforms to streamline climate policy and resource allocation, ensuring that efforts are not duplicated or undermined by regional disparities.

Moreover, addressing the broader impacts of climate change on public health, infrastructure, and food security demands a holistic approach. 

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As Guterres emphasized, cities are warming at twice the global average rate, and Pakistan’s urban areas are particularly vulnerable. Investments in resilient infrastructure, improved urban planning, and sustainable agricultural practices are critical to mitigating these effects.

The economic impact of climate change, including the projected $2.4 trillion cost of heat stress at work, underscores the need for proactive measures to protect workers and industries. 

Pakistan must integrate climate considerations into labor policies, ensuring that worker safety and productivity are not compromised by extreme weather conditions. This includes adopting low-carbon technologies and enhancing cooling solutions to safeguard vulnerable populations.

Pakistan’s response to climate change must evolve to address the growing and multifaceted threats it faces. A unified national approach, potentially requiring constitutional reforms, is essential to effectively manage the diverse impacts of climate change, public health crises, and socio-economic instability.

By re-evaluating and strengthening its national security policies, Pakistan can better protect its citizens and build a more resilient future in the face of escalating climate challenges. 

The time for decisive and integrated action is now, as the future of millions depends on our collective response to these pressing issues.

The writer is a freelance investigative journalist and editor of the PenPK.com.