BY FAISAL FAROOQ
In the fertile region of Punjab, which was once known as the “Land of Five Rivers,” Shakir Hussain is confronting the daunting challenges of water scarcity. Shakir, a farmer in his late 40s, resident of Rajanpur, had spent his entire life tilling the land that had been in his family for generations. However, the changing dynamics of water availability had transformed his way of life dramatically.
Shakir’s day typically began before sunrise. He would head out to his fields, but unlike the days of his forefathers, he no longer had the luxury of abundant water from the rivers to irrigate his crops.
Water scarcity had strained Shakir’s family life as well. His wife, Salma, had to be extremely frugal with water for household chores. She had learned to wash dishes, clothes, and even bathe with minimal water. Their children, Nazim and Sumera, had never known the abundance of water their parents had grown up with. They were taught from a young age to value and conserve every drop.
Pakistan, a country blessed with breathtaking mountain ranges, including the Himalayas and Karakoram, is experiencing a profound and alarming environmental transformation – the melting of its glaciers. This phenomenon is directly linked to the broader issue of water
scarcity, which poses a serious threat to Pakistan’s economy, food security, and overall well-being.
With over 7,000 glaciers, Pakistan boasts the highest number of glaciers anywhere in the world outside the Polar Regions. Unfortunately, these glaciers, which are a significant source of freshwater for the country, are melting rapidly due to rising global temperatures associated with climate change, resulting in the formation of numerous glacial lakes.
The rapid disappearance of these glaciers has become a matter of great concern for Pakistan’s economy and the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on them for their daily needs.
Pakistan’s glaciers are vital sources of freshwater, feeding its rivers and providing water for agriculture, industry, and domestic use. However, due to rising global temperatures, these glaciers are retreating at an alarming rate. The Himalayan glaciers alone have been losing ice at an estimated rate of 0.5% to 1% per year, leading to a reduction in their mass and volume.
Agriculture forms the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, employing millions of people and contributing significantly to the country’s GDP. However, the shrinking glaciers and reduced river flows are causing irregularities in the timing and availability of water for irrigation. This unpredictability is adversely affecting crop yields, leading to food scarcity and insecurity.
Pakistan relies heavily on hydropower for its electricity generation. The reduction in glacier-fed river flows not only affects agriculture but also disrupts the generation of hydroelectric power, leading to energy shortages and increased dependence on fossil fuels.
Water scarcity resulting from glacier melt affects the livelihoods of rural communities, especially those dependent on agriculture. Increased competition for limited water resources can lead to conflicts and migration, exacerbating social and economic disparities.
The primary causes of glacier melt and water scarcity in Pakistan include rising global temperatures due to greenhouse gas emissions causing glaciers to melt at an accelerated rate. Another reason is loss of forests in northern regions that reduces the capacity of
ecosystems to regulate temperatures and influences local climate patterns. Unsustainable groundwater pumping for agriculture and domestic use further depletes available water resources. Inefficient water management practices, including the misallocation and wastage of water resources, exacerbate the crisis.
Melting glaciers and water scarcity in Pakistan are not isolated issues but interconnected crises with far-reaching implications. Immediate action, both nationally and internationally, is essential to mitigate the impact of climate change, conserve water resources, and
develop sustainable water management practices. Failing to address these challenges could have dire consequences for Pakistan’s food security, energy production, and social stability, underscoring the urgency of collective action to combat climate change and safeguard
this nation’s future.
The World Meteorological Organisation in a report released earlier this year said the world’s glaciers melted at dramatic speed last year and saving them is effectively a lost cause. It further noted that record levels of greenhouse gases have caused “planetary scale changes
on land, in the ocean and in the atmosphere”. It stated that the last eight years have been the warmest ever recorded, while concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide hit new peaks.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), globally the glaciers lost more than 6,000 gigatonnes of ice over the period 1993-2019. This represents an equivalent water volume of 75 lakes the size of Lac Leman (also known as Lake Geneva), the largest lake in Western Europe. The Greenland Ice Sheet ended with a negative total mass balance for the 26th year in a row.
President WWF International Dr. Adil Najam said Pakistan is among the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change. He said the country can transform this challenge into an opportunity through the formulation and implementation of comprehensive climate policies and initiatives.
He further said shaping Pakistan’s future” is a nationally driven, globally significant agenda to address the growing impact and risk of climate change on the country.
According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), by 2018, over 3,000 lakes had formed due to melting glaciers in the Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions of Pakistan. 33 of these lakes are considered at risk of flooding, posing a serious
threat to over 7 million people residing downstream. Last year, the country experienced an unprecedented deluge and unexpected monsoon rainfall. It resulted in one-third of the nation being submerged and claiming the lives of 1,700 people.
Pakistan estimates floods have affected more than 33 million people, mainly in Sindh and Balochistan provinces. Another study published last week found that glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalayan mountain ranges could lose up to 80 per cent of their volume this century if global greenhouse gas emissions aren’t rapidly reduced. Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development warned that flash floods and avalanches would become more likely in coming years.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar in his address at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly said that Pakistan looked forward to the fulfillment of the climate change commitments made at COP28 by the developed world including the provision of over $100 billion in annual climate finance. He said the developed countries had committed to allocate at least half of climate finance for adaptation in developing countries, besides operationalizing the Fund and funding arrangements for Loss and Damage.
Climate change is not a distant threat; it is happening now, affecting our lives and our future. To ensure a better tomorrow for Pakistan, we must act today. The time for climate action is now, and we must all play our part.
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