Climate change has emerged as one of the most major challenges of the 21st century. Since the industrial revolution, the concentration of harmful greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has been rising steadily, and with that, the average global temperatures have risen too. A significantly drastic effect of this is the accelerated melting of the Arctic glaciers; which produces a ripple effect that influences weather dynamics all over the globe. It is estimated that if the Arctic is to eventually lose all of its ice, global warming will be sped up by 25-40%. As a result, the risks of climate change will be multiplied worldwide, including in Pakistan. 

Over the years, the manifestations of arctic melting have led to a surge in climate catastrophes over the globe. Rising sea levels, floods and droughts, dangerously high temperatures, extreme weather events, wildfires and numerous other climate-induced disasters have not only impacted greenery and wildlife, but also pose a crucial threat to the socio-economic structure of the human world. 

The global distribution of these climate catastrophes and the associated risks vary from place to place, depending upon a number of factors that include geographical position and the area’s overall capacity for adapting to environmental changes. Particularly shedding light on Pakistan; this is a country whose carbon emissions contribute to less than one percent of the global emissions, but according to the Germanwatch think tank, the country is still ranked among the top ten most vulnerable countries to climate change. In recent years, the effects of climate change in Pakistan have manifested as intensified flash flooding that occurred in 2022, high temperatures and extreme weather events. 

In developed countries where authorities are prepared before-hand, extreme weather events do not manifest into catastrophes. However, developing countries like Pakistan lack proper funding, expertise and resources that can help them to predict these natural disasters, to prepare for them and to also try to mitigate their effects.

This was seen in 2022 when Pakistan suffered historically devastating flooding. This occurred as the Sutlej River in Punjab swelled to extremely high levels due to prolonged monsoon rains. These floods affected a total of 33 million people, most of who belonged to the already vulnerable areas of the country, where malnutrition and water-shortages were previously a common occurring. Many families lost their houses, livelihoods, and in many cases, even their loved ones. 

Apart from causing such major loss of life and massive- level displacement that submerged approximately one-third of Pakistan, these floods also affected one of the most significant industries of Pakistan; agriculture. The flash floods wiped out 1.7 million hectares of agricultural land and 800 thousand heads of livestock. Moreover, as many farmers missed the winter crop season, this caused a decrease in the overall agricultural output of the country. As a result, severe food and water insecurity affected greater than 7 million people nationwide. 

Last year, Pakistan was also challenged with relatively hotter heat waves than notmal. Heat waves are categorized as time periods of excessively high temperatures that are significantly above average for that particular location. In Pakistan, temperatures in many areas rose to even beyond 52 degree Celsius, causing authoritative bodies to shut down educational institutes in order to protect students from dehydration and heatstroke. Even provincial disaster management authorities in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh had to order hospitals to set up their heat wave units for people suffering from such heat-related illnesses. Even this year, hospitals have reported an increase in the influx of such patients. 

These heat waves additionally cause water scarcity and dry soil, ultimately decreasing the total agricultural output of the year. Moreover, prolonged heat decreases worker productivity, affecting various sectors of industry and development. Overall, this goes to show how climate change has its adverse effects in the economic sector of a country as well. 

Another climate induced disaster presents itself particularly in the northern regions of Pakistan. This is glacier melting due to increase in temperatures. Currently, the Hindu Kush, Karakoram, and Himalayan glaciers are melting at an alarming rate. This also causes glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs).

It is now evident that we have reached the brink of the climate issue, where our next steps will determine the entire fate of life on earth. In the 21st century, we are stood at a very critical juncture where authorities must act promptly to avoid irreversible catastrophe at the hands of climate change. Therefore, it is crucial that worldwide efforts are made in order to pool resources that particularly help developing countries that are facing the brunt of climate-related disasters and also struggling to battle their crippling consequences. Conservation and restoration of both on-land and water spaces is the key to limiting carbon emissions and greenhouse gas emissions. This alone can provide one-third of the climate-change mitigation effort that is direly needed in the upcoming decade.