Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environment Coordination Musadik Masood Malik has warned that rising temperatures, erratic rainfall and melting of glaciers at a faster pace pose severe risk to Pakistan’s economy, food security and public health.
He was addressing the Pakistan International Wildlife and Eco-Film Festival in capital Islamabad. The Climate Change Minister said that country is responsible for less than one percent of global carbon emissions but still Pakistan remains one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change.
He said that rising sea levels endanger coastal populations, while health risks from climate-related diseases are increasing in the country. To combat these challenges, the incumbent government has prioritized reforestation and biodiversity conservation. The Minister urged the international stakeholders to fulfill climate finance commitments as Pakistan and other countries need financial and technical assistance from developed nations. He said that for this purpose, operationalization of the “Loss and Damage Fund” is urgently required.
The Minister for Climate Change said that Pakistan’s agricultural sector, water resources and coastal communities are under severe threat. While talking about the catastrophic super floods of 2022, he said climate-induced disasters like that are becoming more frequent. He maintained that climate impacts could shrink Pakistan’s economy by 18-20 percent by 2050.
Pakistan consistently ranks among the most vulnerable countries to climate change, particularly due to its exposure to extreme weather conditions like untimely and large-scale rainfall, floods and droughts. The Global Climate Risk Index has ranked Pakistan among the top 10 most affected countries in recent years, with the 2022 floods causing billions of dollars in damage and loss of life.
As per climate experts Pakistan is ranked as the 5th most vulnerable country to climate change. Pakistan faced super floods in the year 2022, resulting in loss of innocent lives, displacement of millions of people and economic cost of billions of dollars.
