The apocalyptic 2022 floods were a wakeup call for Pakistani authorities. Understanding the gravity of the situation, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCC&EC) led by Senator Sherry Rehman has taken several commendable steps to help the country brace the impact of climate change – unprecedented and extreme weather events will now be a regular occurrence. On Wednesday (July 26), the federal cabinet passed the National Adaptation Plan 2023 prepared by the MoCC&EC. The framework is impressive and focuses on the collaboration of multiple departments and stakeholders. Given the large-scale destruction we had in 2022, any plan that convinces government authorities to work together is a necessity. The plan will also provide a roadmap to the government and help it complete its targets in a more coherent manner.
The National Adaptation Plan has identified five important areas: agriculture-water nexus, natural capital, urban resilience, human capital and disaster risk management (DRM). The framework has suggested various adaptation strategies under each category to help mitigate the risk of climate-induced disasters. The document covers all important aspects, and it is good to see that the MoCC&EC has adopted a whole-of-government approach to tackle the biggest challenge of the century. The plan also hopes to introduce farmers to climate-smart practices. Methods like drip irrigation (essential for saving water) can go a long way in helping the water-starved country grow water-intensive crops without high waste. The Punjab government has already worked with farmers in this regard, providing them a 60 per cent subsidy on the upfront cost of the drip irrigation system. Similar incentives should be provided for other climate-smart methods to lower water waste and ensure that climate disasters have minimal impact on the overall agriculture produce. Saving the agriculture sector against the monstrous effects of climate change is important because the loss of essential crops will lead to acute food insecurity in the country. Food inflation in Pakistan has already crossed 40 per cent (with rural areas recording a growth of over 50 per cent). Crop loss in the event of heavy rains will make matters worse, besides depriving small farmers of revenue earned after year-long work.
Equally important for the country is to train a workforce capable of carrying out rescue and relief efforts. Last year, mostly volunteers were on the ground, helping the displaced and trapped people in whatever way they could. Heart-wrenching videos of failed rescue attempts still haunt people. While the adaptation plan covers this aspect, it is crucial for the government to start work in this regard urgently. That the world will witness extreme water events is a well-known fact. Even though Pakistan cannot prevent such events from happening, it can ensure that it is well-prepared for whatever may come. It should build climate-resilient infrastructure to ensure that people’s homes and other buildings in the area are not swept away in flood waters. The country lost over 1,700 people and 1.0 million livestock last year. It certainly cannot absorb the shocks created by any other such event.
Published at The News on 29th July 2023