Environmental Challenges (Apr 2024)
Addressing current climate issues in Pakistan: An opportunity for a sustainable future
Abstract
Climate change is an inevitable phenomenon and is no longer a myth. Climate change is a new rising problem in South Asia; Pakistan suffers from its disastrous effects. This review examines the risks and effects of climate change in South Asia, particularly Pakistan. It seeks to illuminate recent floods' environmental, social, and economic implications, analyze the causes of the region's heightened climate change susceptibility, and evaluate current measures and policies to mitigate these effects. The assessment also seeks to identify research and policy gaps, particularly in environmental funding and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The results indicate that the current weather trends, including glacier melting, glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs), and extraordinary monsoon rainfall, caused disastrous floods in July and September 2022. Pakistan's population suffers more from climate change despite contributing less than 1 % to global greenhouse gas emissions. Rapid industrialization, fossil fuel use, plastic use, and deforestation worsen the situation. The review emphasizes the benefits of reservoir management and dam development in strengthening ecosystems and reducing flood risks. It also stresses the importance of integrating climate policies into a socio-economic and political framework for sustainable environmental outcomes. This assessment emphasizes the need for comprehensive, coordinated climate change agreements in South Asia. Governments can prevent climate change and build a resilient and sustainable future by prioritizing sustainable development, innovative adaptation methods, and international collaboration. This review recommends increasing funding for climate and water-related research, improving flood risk mitigation strategies, and using knowledge from diverse research and policy domains to develop innovative climate adaptation measures to combat climate change. The review emphasizes alignment with SDGs and indicates that addressing climate injustice's fundamental causes can improve political strategies and outcomes. It emphasizes limiting global temperature increases to 1.5 °C to protect ecosystems, human health, and economic stability, especially in low and middle-income countries where climate threats could impair SDGs.
