CSS Pakistan Affairs | Steps for Pakistan in Climate Change Policy
The following question of CSS Pakistan Affairs is solved by Ihtesham Hussain Khan under the supervision of Howfiv’s Pakistan Affairs and Current Affairs Coaches. She learnt how to attempt 20 marks question and essay writing from Sir Syed Kazim Ali, Pakistan’s best CSS and PMS English essay and precis teacher with the highest success rate of his students. This solved past paper question is attempted on the pattern taught by Sir to his students, scoring the highest marks in compulsory and optional subjects for years, and uploaded to help aspirants understand how to crack a topic or question, how to write relevantly, what coherence is, and how to include and connect ideas, opinions, and suggestions to score the maximum.
Outline
1-Introduction
2-What is Pakistan’s National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) 2021?
2.1- Proposed steps for climate adaptation
- ✓Water Resources
- ✓Agriculture and Livestock
- ✓Human Health
- ✓Forestry
2.2-Proposed steps for mitigation
- ✓Energy production
- ✓Transport
- ✓Agriculture and livestock
- ✓Carbon sequestration and forestry
3-Conclusion
Answer to the Question
Pakistan, along with the whole world, has faced huge damage from climate change. This damage was in different forms, including high floods, melting of glaciers, extreme weather conditions, and increasing air pollution resulting in smog. Considering this situation, there is a dire need for climate adaptation and mitigation in Pakistan. A number of steps are proposed in the National Climate Change Policy of Pakistan (NCCP) for climate adaptation in various sectors, including water resources, agriculture and livestock, human health, and forestry. Simultaneously, a number of sagacious steps are proposed in NCCP required for mitigating the negative impacts of climate change. These sectors include energy generation, transport, agriculture and livestock, and carbon sequestration and forestry. There is a dire need for the implementation of these proposed steps for climate adaptation and mitigation.
After the Paris Climate Accord 2015, Pakistan agreed to contribute to the global emissions reduction efforts. Now, Pakistan has chalked out NCCP-2021, which equally focuses on adaptation and mitigation with a major emphasis on nature-based solutions. In the policy, the vulnerabilities of various sectors to climate change have been highlighted, and appropriate adaptation measures spelt out. These cover policy measures to address issues in various sectors such as water, agriculture, forestry, coastal areas, biodiversity and other vulnerable ecosystems. Notwithstanding the fact that Pakistan’s contribution to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is small, its role as a responsible member of the global community in combating climate change has been highlighted by giving due importance to mitigation efforts in sectors such as energy, transport, forestry and agriculture.
As far as the water resources of Pakistan are concerned, according to the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), Pakistan will run dry by 2025. Keeping in view this scenario, there is a dire need to implement sagacious steps proposed in NCCP for climate adaptation. According to the former chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Muzamil Hussain, Pakistan could store only 10 per cent of its annual river flows against the world average of 40 per cent. According to the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), water application efficiency of flood and border irrigation is 50 to 60 per cent. To counter this, High-Efficiency Irrigation Systems (HEIS) are proposed. According to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources to maximize economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems. IWRM is also proposed to take farmer welfare and environmental sustainability into account simultaneously. Moreover, the Capacity development of the stakeholders is also proposed for the effective utilization of water resources. All these steps are needed for climate adaptation in the water resources section.
When it comes to agriculture and livestock, according to the Economic Survey of Pakistan 2023-2024, Pakistan has a diversified economic base with the agriculture sector, contributing 24 per cent to GDP and 37.4 per cent to employment. To make this sector climate adaptable, NCCP recommends a number of steps in various dimensions, including research, technology, and general assessment as regards agriculture and livestock. In research, the steps proposed are the development of digital simulation methods for climate change assessments, climate resistant varieties, better livestock yields, quality data sets, research capacity of the agriculture department, and farming community capacity development. Moreover, steps proposed for technological advancement are the use of energy-efficient farm mechanization, modern farming technologies, rainwater harvesting, financial incentives, high-efficiency irrigation systems, remote sensing, and geographic irrigation systems. Moreover, the steps recommended in general management include the establishment of climate change units, land development, fodder banks, and improving feed quality for livestock. Hence, the above-cited measures are the need of the time to make the agriculture and livestock sector climate adaptable.
Additionally, climate change is creating a number of health concerns, including diarrheal diseases and mental health issues, especially in flood-affected people. Also, there are quite a few chances of the spread of malaria and dengue in these areas. Moreover, climate adaptability of human health can be ensured by following the steps proposed in NCCP: having health vulnerabilities assessments of likely to be affected areas, measures to address health-related climate change issues in national health plans, training of health personnel and public about climate change, having a disease outbreak monitoring mechanism for improved data recording and reporting, regular climate impact assessment on diseases, considering technology and infrastructure options to improve Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Public-Private Partnerships to solve funding issue for WASH, and adoption of water and sanitation safety plans.
Moreover, in the first phase of the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Project TBTTP, 3.29 billion trees have been planted. To foster climate adaptability of forestry, the steps proposed in NCCP are awareness campaigns, research and innovation, reforms in governance, enhancing adaptive capacity, implementation of UNFCC decision on REDD++ carbon sequestration, use of alternate fuels like non-timber forest produce, reduction of forest fire, and soil erosion control.
The implementation of steps proposed in NCCP is the need of hour in various sectors for mitigating the negative steps of climate change. However, Pakistan’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per- capita are low compared to international standards. In 2017- 18 Pakistan’s total GHG emissions were 490 million tons of CO2 equivalents.
While considering the energy production process, the Prime Minister of Pakistan on 3rd June 2021 launched the country’s first-ever “Green Eurobond” by WAPDA for financing environmentally friendly energy projects to enhance the clean energy share in the country’s power generation mix, which heavily relies on fossil fuels. For mitigating the impacts of climate change, NCCP proposed a number of concrete steps required in the energy generation process. The steps include proper implementation of Renewable Energy Policy-2019, cleaners coal technologies, carbon capture technologies in cool-fired plants, and prioritization to import of natural gas, Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), and Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) over oil.
Furthermore, to meet this carbon emission reduction in the transport sector, Pakistan has recently approved an ambitious National Electric Vehicles Policy (NEVP)- 2020, with targets and incentives aimed at seeing electric vehicles capture 30% of all passenger vehicle and heavy-duty truck sales by 2030, and 90% by 2040. For mitigating the impacts of climate change, a number of concrete steps proposed in NCCP include supporting the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) initiative for carbon emissions reduction, upgradation and extension of railway tracks across the country, and the development of inland waterways transportation.
Besides, the agriculture and livestock sectors accounted for about 40% of Pakistan’s total GHG emissions in 2017-18. For mitigating the impacts of climate change in this sector, a number of concrete steps are proposed by NCCP in the agriculture and livestock sector. These steps include a sustainable green revolution through a reduction in the use of chemical fertilizer, water, pesticides, and nitrous oxide released from the soil, new breeds of cattle with lower methane production, and cultivation of crops for biofuel production.
In addition, for mitigating the impacts of climate change, a number of concrete steps proposed by NCCP in forestry sector include mangrove plantation under Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Project and Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), seeking funding from the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and UN-REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) program and formation of framework for a national REDD strategy.
In a nutshell, climate change vulnerabilities have compelled Pakistan to adopt a strategy for climate change adaptability and mitigation in various sectors, including water resources, transport, energy production, transport, agriculture, livestock, and human health. This strategy has been chalked out in NCCP 2021. Due to the huge damage potential of climate change, the world should not ignore this phenomenon but tackle it with climate resilience and mitigation.
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