1 week Ago By Staff Reporter
LAHORE - Experts on Sunday have raised concerns over looming ecological imbalance in the country as rising temperature is driving socioeconomic procedures toward economic, social and health losses. Pakistan is experiencing the effects of global warming, with rising temperatures, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and changes in precipitation patterns, impacting agriculture, water resources, and human health. The experts viewed that global warming and climate change in Pakistan is a major issue for the country.
Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate change. As with the changing climate in South Asia as a whole, the climate of Pakistan has changed over the past several decades, with significant impacts on the environment and people. The experts informed that in addition to increased heat, extreme weather, drought in parts of the country and the melting of glaciers in the Himalayas had impacted some of the important rivers of Pakistan.
Between 1999 and 2018, Pakistan ranked 5th in the countries affected by extreme weather caused by climate change, they opined. Noted environmentalist Mahmood Khalid Qamar said that Pakistan is among the countries that are negatively impacted by the effects of climate change. As its frequent exposure to natural hazards, and significant dependence on monsoon rainfall and the glacier-fed Indus Basin make it vulnerable to climate change.
Qamar said Pakistan is home to over 7,000 glaciers, and is experiencing rapid glacier melting due to rising temperatures linked to climate change, leading to the formation of glacial lakes and increasing the risk of flooding and other climate disasters. To a query, he said that the country’s socioeconomic circumstances further augment its vulnerability to projected temperature increases, more variable rainfall patterns, and greater risk of floods and droughts. Farhan Mallick granted bail in cybercrime case by local court He said that it is good omen that Punjab, the biggest province of Pakistan, has shown commitment to tackle challenges related to climate change under the Climate Change Activity Plan and Punjab Climate Change Strategy.
Pakistan’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are less than 1 percent of the world total, and GHG emissions per person, at 2 tonnes per year,[6] are less than half the global average, he added. According to a recent research, in just one year GHG emissions totalled 408 million tonnes of CO2eq, of which 43 percent was from agriculture in Pakistan; and 46 percent from energy in Pakistan, such as burning fuel for heat, to power transport, and generate electricity, said noted environmentalist Mirza Sarwat. Agricultural GHG are mostly methane and nitrous oxide.
Methane comes from belching cattle, sheep and goats; manure management; and rice cultivation, Sarwat informed. Nitrous oxide is mainly from agricultural soils due to the application of synthetic fertilizers, farmyard manure, and crop residue mixes after burning, he added Punjab CM appreciates stakeholders on conducting combing operation in South Punjab He said that Pakistan is prone to a range of natural disasters, including cyclones, floods, drought, intense rainfall, and earthquakes. Mirza Sarwat said that according to various research reports, climate change played a substantial role in the devastating floods of 2022, which had a direct impact on over 30 million people in Pakistan, resulting in the loss of lives, damage to public infrastructure, and displacement from homes.
Climate change poses a significant menace to Pakistan’s economy and security, he added. In view of the current global environmental turmoil and intermittent El Nino effect culminating into irregular and unexpected climate change for which the major developed countries are largely responsible with Pakistan emitting only one per cent carbon into the ozone layer, the developing countries like us are badly suffering. He said that on our part, without active engagement for our environmental sustainability, it has become extremely important to take this seriously for our very survival.
While quoting an example of global warming, he said due to the dangerous increase in global temperatures, the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu could become the first country in the world to be completely submerged under the ocean due to global warming. PFA destroys 420kg meat of dead animals Scientists have warned that if glaciers continue to melt and sea levels continue to rise at the current rate, it is estimated that ‘Tuvalu’ will be completely submerged by the year 2050. It is worth mentioning here that this unfortunate country is home to about 11,000 people, whose homes and homelands, as well as their history and civilization, are in danger of disappearing.
It may be mentioned here that to an estimation, global warming and climate change are projected to cost the global economy trillions of dollars annually, with developing nations like Pakistan being particularly vulnerable, facing potential GDP losses of 18 to 20 percent by 2050 and experiencing significant economic damage from extreme weather events. Tags: experts warn severe.
