Climate change to cause mass human migration in coming years

Islamabad:Extreme weather patterns due to climate change are likely to cause mass migration in Pakistan in the coming years.

According to the details, the flash floods are already causing mass migration such as Gilgit-Baltistan where the people have been forced to migrate from some parts temporarily or permanently due to extreme weather conditions, torrential rains, flash floods, and landslides.

Similarly, a combination of sea erosion and intrusion has submerged several Indus river delta islands, mainly in the Thatta, Badin, and Sajawal districts of the southern Sindh province in the last few decades compelling local communities to migrate to the nearby districts.

A report compiled by the Climate Change Ministry showed that Pakistan lost 80 billion dollar from 1996 to 2016 because of climate change calamities.

Climate change itself may not discriminate between the rich and the poor but political, economic, and social institutions exacerbate its impacts on specific disadvantaged segments of the country.

The United Nations Population Fund in its report underlined the need to protect and facilitate migrant communities by adopting tailor-made strategies to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

A report by ActionAid International and Climate Action Network South Asia has stated up to 63 million people could be displaced in South Asia as a result of climate change by 2050.

An official of the climate change ministry said “Almost 50% of Pakistan’s population is increasingly becoming vulnerable to climate change, which may trigger a wave of mass migration.”