If India and Bangladesh can think and work in their capacity for climate change adaptation and mitigation, then why can’t we?
Being a citizen of the fifth most vulnerable state in the world to climate change, as ranked by Global Climate Risk and as per the statement of Pakistan Ambassador to UAE, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, I am quite concerned about the current and future generations. The Sindh province of Pakistan has experienced extended heatwaves and the hottest May on record this year. Keeping this intense and critical situation in view, every individual must contribute towards the sustainability of the climate. We cannot afford any more negligence in this regard as the harm done requires many years to repair, and if the situation is not controlled even now, our posterity will have to pay the cost. Why burden them even before they come into existence?
The misfortune of us Pakistanis is that we prefer procrastinating and relying on others rather than taking timely, practical steps ourselves. This makes all the difference. However, the majority of other nations that are better off than us start putting in efforts from day one instead of waiting for a miracle to take place. Let’s not go far to look for examples of countries that are adopting climate- smart strategies for providing a better future to the existing generation and posterity. Our neighboring countries, India and Bangladesh, are showing exemplary strategies to adapt and mitigate climate change. The learning process should never stop, and one should strive to learn even from those with whom one holds differences. Pakistan is an agrarian country, and the irony is that its farmers are the major victims of climate change.
We can learn the Indian techniques of employing climate-smart agricultural practices like watershed management, switching to the harvest of paddy crops, using organic fertilizers, and planting mangroves to minimize the damage caused by climate change to farmers. Pakistan’s shift towards organic food in recent years is quite remarkable. The consumption of organic food is quite costly; therefore, measures should be taken for easy access to organic food.
Bangladesh, Pakistan’s separated part, has been able to upgrade its status through the proper implementation of the rightly made policies. Martin Raiser, World Bank Vice President for South Asia, praised Bangladesh with these words: “Bangladesh has led the way in adaptation and disaster risk management. Over the past 50 years, it has reduced cyclone-related deaths 100-fold. Other countries can learn from this.” The Climate Change Trust Fund (CCTF) 2010 and Climate Fiscal Framework (CFF) 2014 are remarkable plans of Bangladesh for dealing with climate change by allowing the Bangladesh Government to manage finances through the incorporation of climaterelated expenditures in the budget. Pakistan should learn from these examples and try to bridge the gap between policymaking and implementation.
Pakistan has a long way to go in terms of its climate-relevant journey. We are still ignoring climate change and its consequences. The need of the hour is to learn from others and implement what is required before we are fully under the water. Pakistan has always shown determination and commitment to take significant and positive measures in terms of climate change whenever the international community called upon her, as in UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) 1984, Kyoto Protocol 2005, Paris Agreement 2016, and the UN Climate Change Conferences and Summits (COPs) happening every year. However, when it comes to real application and implementation, Pakistan lags behind.
Our dear Pakistan has been under the severe effects of climate change since the late 20th century. We have observed the severity in an increasing trend since then. The precipitation, rainfall, temperature, and heatwaves have shown a higher number every passing year. The 2010 floods in Pakistan were a significant example of the devastation caused by climate change. The more than usual rains and the state’s unpreparedness resulted in massive destruction of lives, properties, and healthcare centers. Pakistan’s habit of learning late from prior experiences was evident during the 2022 floods. Ideally, Pakistan should have learned or at least taken some protective measures beforehand, keeping in view the 2010 floods to avoid the largescale destruction in 2022.
The Climate Change Act 2017 of Pakistan was made to cope with the challenges of climate change in accordance with international standards of climate change adaptation and mitigation. According to this Act, the Pakistan Climate Change Council/Authority, headed by the Prime Minister, was established to meet Pakistan’s climate change obligations internationally and address the climate change effects in Pakistan. Even though this act was made, the act’s implementation is far from reality.
Pakistan has the potential to do wonders in the area of climate change and is on its way to success and glory in terms of tackling climate change, but unfortunately, her pace is very slow. Pakistan’s Parliament has the honor of becoming the world’s first parliament to run fully on solar power on February 23, 2016. This solar system provides 62 MW to the parliament and a surplus 18 MW to the national grid. This shows that Pakistan can achieve what she wants to, and it’s only a matter of priorities.
The role of social media should be highly appreciated as it is raising awareness regarding the individual efforts of courageous Pakistanis like Ghulam Rasool Pakistani (Plant4Pakistan), Shahroz Siraj (Tree Man of Pakistan), Abdul Basit Baloch (Aghaaz-e-Sahar), Zunair Kamboh (Tourist and Vlogger), and others. Viewing such content has initiated a spark within me that has made me ponder the seriousness of the climate change problem and work towards the solution of this problem collectively.
Maryam Iftikhar
The writer is a freelance contributor and an graduate of Forman Christian College