Cloudbursts have recently ravaged life in various areas of Pakistan. This phenomenon is comparatively new and appears to be a natural war tactic against humans.
These weather events can be very disastrous if not properly tackled and addressed in the best possible way, thereby mitigating the concerns of nature. Countries like Pakistan need a detailed climate action plan to combat the unpredictable impacts of climate change and save the lives and liberties of their people from nature’s wrath.
These changes are not limited to a few countries like Pakistan. The entire world is under the grip of climate fear. All are equally affected by changing weather patterns and climate change. The Climate Risk Index ranks Dominica, China and Honduras as the most affected countries facing extreme weather during 1993-2022. The ranking shows Pakistan, Belize and Italy as the most affected countries due to extreme weather in 2022. It has been noted with concern that more than 765,000 people lost their lives during 1993-2022 worldwide and $4.2 trillion in direct losses were incurred. The most prominent impacts during the same period were attributed to the worst kinds of floods, storms, heatwaves and drought.
Climate disasters have wreaked havoc on the world. Extreme weather events like floods, storms, heatwaves and cloudbursts have resulted in substantial economic losses, loss of life and displacements. The floods in Pakistan in 2022 were devastating by all means. The heatwaves in Australia, floods in Brazil and the Sahel region, and typhoons and hurricanes in the US significantly impacted the lives and liberties of people, incurring economic losses that can be calculated in billions of dollars in monetary terms. The Global South is the worst hit by extreme weather events, taking a heavy toll on the lives and livelihoods of the people.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres very rightly said, “Climate catastrophe is hammering health, widening inequalities, harming sustainable development, and rocking the foundation of peace. The vulnerable are hardest hit”. The Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2025 clearly shows that Global South countries are the most affected by extreme weather patterns. Five out of the ten most affected countries are in the lower-middle-income group of the developing world. Three countries are in the category of least developed countries (LDCs) whose populations are very vulnerable. Weather hazards have increased in these countries, and a large number of people have had to migrate to save their lives. The loss of their livelihoods in the form of livestock and agriculture was the main reason for their migration.
The most critical question for the world is how to combat climate change in a time of financial crunch, lacking the support and political will of rich countries, especially the US. The US under President Trump has already pulled out of the Paris Agreement, which was a great shock and setback to the world fighting extreme weather. This is, in fact, a great risk for poor developing countries facing floods and torrential rains in the worst crises. People are at the mercy of nature, facing the worst kind of devastation and damage due to climate disasters.
COP29 could not achieve the desired results in Baku. COP30 in Belem may also face difficulties in achieving the desired optimistic goals, so far as financial targets are concerned. Needless to say, success in tackling climate challenges depends on the proper implementation of policy frameworks, climate action plans and better global coordination efforts through the active participation of governments and executives of the world, along with crucial financial support.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) needs to be strengthened to save humans and the Earth from warming. World leaders and governments must recognise the urgency of this issue to save humanity from total disaster and destruction. There is an urgent need to prioritise climate change. COPs need to strengthen their implementation mechanisms to make progress on their former and formal decisions. That should be a priority.
Climate financing to phase out fossil fuels should be a top priority for the Global North in supporting the Global South to tackle emissions. The EU, China, and India must take precedence in addressing this issue, as the US is no longer interested due to President Trump’s apathy to climate emergencies.
One of the most critical needs is financial support from the global community to combat climate disasters. Finances are crucial to pursuing climate goals. The financial crunch is creating difficulties in fighting extreme weather. Developing countries have long lived with the stark reality of lacking financial resources to fight poverty. Climate change and disasters are adding to their poverty ratings and indices, with more people bearing the brunt of weather catastrophes. The affluent, advanced countries of the world are reluctant to financially support the global climate cause and mission, which is very disturbing and depressing. The last COP29 lacked the representation of the prominent leaders of developed countries like France, Britain, Russia and China.
Climate financing negotiations have become one of the most challenging tasks since the adoption of the UNFCCC in 1992. The New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) highlights a $1.3 trillion annual budget requirement by 2035, which is a bridge that apparently seems too far. Developed countries have to bridge the climate financing gap of developing economies by providing around $300 billion annually by 2035 to realise the dream of the Paris Agreement, which has been severely damaged and shattered by President Trump’s policy of avoidance and detachment, further deepening the climate financing crisis. The private sector has become increasingly important in supporting the climate financing needs of developing countries.
Clean energy transition is the most important step to help combat climate change. Pakistan is an under-resourced country, despite being one of the most climate-vulnerable nations. The transition needs funding and financing for clean energy goals, including renewable solar, wind and hydropower projects. Pakistan has a lot of potential to get clean energy from all these abundant resources and the government needs to activate and advance its efforts to make it possible. The electric vehicles (EVs) policy needs to be rationalised by prioritising and incentivising the EV sector for the ultimate goal of achieving a neat and clean environment. Charging stations need to be prioritised to promote EVs for the green energy transition. The private sector can make significant contributions if incentivised to invest more in this sector. A public-private partnership would be the best model to adopt to achieve clean energy goals.
Deforestation has been identified as one of the most potent reasons for climate change. The need of the hour is to go all out for initiatives like the Billion Tree Tsunami to address the most critical and compelling issues of environmental change and weather patterns. The drastic decline in forest cover over the last three decades has made Pakistan vulnerable to climate change. Forest cover has fallen from 3.78 million hectares in 1992 to 3.09 million hectares in 2023 – around an 18 per cent decline in 32 years.
It is not only the weather that is affected due to deforestation, but also the lives and livestock of the people. Forests are not just trees but also the first line of defence for the environment, economy and national security.
The writer is a former additional secretary and can be reached at:
hassanbaig2009@gmail.com
