GLOBAL CHALLENGE AND NATIONAL RESPONSE: AN APPRAISAL OF PAKISTAN’S CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY RESPONSES
Abstract
It is a settled fact tat the globe is getting warmer. According to the United Nations, the world is 1.42 degrees warmer than it was in the 19th century—prior to industrialisation. Pakistan has become the “epicentre” of global climate-induced changes and challenges. Climate change disproportionately affects the country in ecological, economical, and social terms. Global warming has become “an existential threat” to the country. This article critically evaluates the climate change policies of Pakistan in the framework of the global climate commitments and national vulnerabilities (floods, heat waves, water shortages, and food insecurity). It also analyses how well the policies in Pakistan fit in with the available international protocols, i.e., the Paris Agreement, etc. A thorough analysis of the literature—related to key national climate policies, strategies and institutional mechanisms—is carried out in the article. The results show that despite the increasing internal policy sophistication and international commitment shown by Pakistan, there are still critical gaps in the implementation of policies, inter-agency coordination, and resource distribution. This article argues that climate change poses a serious threat to Pakistan, and the situation is made worse by ineffective climate governance, weak institutional capacity, limited financial and technical resources, and political uncertainty. The key to improving the climate resilience of Pakistan and its environmental sustainability lies in buttressing institutional frameworks, improving inter-agency coordination, and the availability of resources—both financial and technical—for projects that deal with climate change.
Keywords: Climate change, global response, protocols, Pakistan, policy responses
