Monsters of climate change

Needless to say that global warming and climate change has emerged as a monstrous issue that gripped the whole world. Since Pakistan has no exception, the negative impacts of this critical situation have emerged as acute worrisome for all the stakeholders. The fresh data reveals that the Himalaya-Karakoram-Hindukush region, which hosts worlds third largest ice mass after the poles, has warmed up more than 1.5 °C almost double than the remaining parts of Pakistan (0.76 °C) during the last three decades. Subsequently, the icreased frequency of torrential rains, prolonged heat waves, frequent tropical cyclones, recurring flooding and persistent drought are the phenomenal changes experienced this deltaic region. Especially, the rapid melting of glaciers in the north is not only contributing to floods downstream but also causes sea level rise triggering intrusion of saline sea water into the fertile land and destroys the fertile agricultural lands. Same is the case with water, health, biodiversity, forests and socio-economic sectors that are quite vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and global warming. Regrettably, the country has not developed any major water reservoir since the construction of Terbella about four decades back. Since melting of glaciers is a regular feature courtesy the global warming, the floods, land erosion and crop destruction are very common throughout the deltaic region. Poverty, lack of awareness as well as low adaptive capacity the local population of the Indus delta to climate change are not less factors in regularly increasing the vulnerabilities and posing multiple challenges. Very true that though the government has devised a national policy on climate change to cope with the negative impacts and devolved the environment sector to provinces to effectively deal this issue on provincial level, yet no tangible progress has so far been visible in this regard. The relevant authorities seem not bothered as no remedial measure has been adopted for climate change monitoring and impact assessment activities on scientific basis. There is a dire need to involve local populations of the Indus delta by enhancing their awareness so that they could cope with any threat emanates from the glaciers melting and subsequent floods as well as land erosion. No debate on it that building of small water reservoirs on feasible locations in Indus delta would not enhance the countrys water storage capacity but also contribute a lot in controlling the repeated floods. Being cognizant of the whole situation, the authorities are supposed to come out with an aggressive policy coupled with serious commitment to execute it – the only option available with them as there is no escape of it.