Dangerous changes

The rapid acceleration of global climate change – and the extreme weather events that accompany it – is already having an effect on Pakistan. In the last decade, the country has experienced cyclones, mass flooding, record heatwaves and the destabilisation of glaciers. The country has over 7000 glaciers and as they begin to melt they form glacial lakes which can cause flooding and avalanches. A total of 36 glacial lakes, most of which are in Gilgit-Baltistan, have been found to be dangerous. On Thursday alone, two people were killed in the Diamer district in flooding caused by a melting glacier. The village of Barsuwat Nullah in the area has now turned into an artificial lake, leaving thousands homeless. Climate change is a global problem and as such it needs a global solution. To stave off what is essentially a doomsday scenario, it is imperative that the worldwide temperature not increase by an average of 1.5 degrees Celsius over the next 50 years. The largest polluters, particularly the US and China, have begun to reduce their carbon emissions but much more needs to be done if we are to survive this crisis.

While the ultimate solution has to come from the international community coming together, there are steps we should be taking to minimise the effects of climate change. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, as important as it is to our development, has led to cutting down forest and jungle area and mountain tops. The use of heavy machinery and large vehicles in Gilgit-Baltistan destabilises glaciers. All development projects must be approved only after an environmental assessment is done and there should be no exceptions should the projects prove to be hazardous to the environment. This includes large projects such as dams, which not only cause the displacement of tens of thousands of people but affect the ecosystem in numerous ways. Global estimates have shown that Pakistan is likely to be disproportionately affected by climate change. But few political parties have devoted more than a few lines to the problem in their election manifestoes. Short-sighted politicians love announcing development projects whose employment benefits are immediate. Their impact on the environment emerges more slowly but the devastation it is causing can now be seen, be it in the villages of Gilgit-Baltistan or the farmlands of Sindh.