- Pakistan is securing number 8th in most affected countries by climate change
- UNICEF reported that Children in Pakistan are most vulnerable to the consequences of climate change.
- Pakistan is at number 14th on the Children’s Climate Risk Index where children are at high risk to experience impacts of climate change.
- The Government of Pakistan is adopting strategies to tackle the effects of climate change.
INTRODUCTION
Pakistan is a developing nation that ranks fifth-most populous country in the World. According to news sources, the country is included in the list of top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change.
Age groups especially children are extremely vulnerable to climate change. According to a UNICEF report, the raging climate change is threatening the survival of Pakistani Children.
Check out: Top Polluters and Climate Change Deniers a Danger for Neighbouring Countries
CLIMATE CHANGE AND CHILDREN IN THE WORLD
UNICEF has issued a report about the climate crisis that is connected with the child rights crisis. According to a report, nearly 1 billion children are living in countries that are suffering from the consequences of climate change.
Children are going through a development stage and the immune system is still developing as compared to adults. This is the reason the child death rate is higher in developing and underdeveloped countries. Environmental pollution, floods, typhoons, hurricanes, heat waves, and other environmental issues will certainly show more severe impacts on children.
Water, food, and air are essential ingredients of life. Water scarcity and food insecurity due to climate change are becoming prevalent issues throughout the globe. In such cases, the most vulnerable countries might suffer the most.
Unavailability of necessary items degrades the normal standard of living and hence all these circumstances have negative impacts on the children. Furthermore, children are more exposed to disease breakouts such as dengue, malaria, etc.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND PAKISTANI CHILDREN
How climate change is affecting children in Pakistan?
As Pakistan stands in most affected countries by climate change, different age groups in the country are facing health problems. UNICEF has reported children as the most vulnerable group to the ongoing climate crisis in Pakistan.
Pakistan is ranking at 14th in Children’s Climate Risk Index where children are at high risk to experience impacts of climate change in South Asian countries. The Children’s Climate Risk Index of Pakistan is 7.7 while the children’s vulnerability rate is 6.4.
Also check out: Climate Change Causing Rice Crop Yield Reduction In Pakistan
ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS OF PAKISTAN
According to an Asian Development Bank report, it is estimated that due to vulnerability to climate change, Pakistan will most likely experience nearly 3.8 billion dollar economic loss.
Currently, Pakistan is facing common environmental issues such as air pollution, water pollution, land pollution, extreme weather events such as floods, and frequent natural disasters.
Check out: Effects of Climate Change on Monsoon Season of Pakistan
EFFORTS BY GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN
The government of Pakistan is doing its efforts to tackle the impacts of climate change without any foreign assistance. Prime Minister Imran Khan has started several environmentally friendly initiatives that would help in combating the impacts of climate change. Billion tree tsunami project, protected area management, switching to renewable energy sources such as solar power, electric vehicles, miyawaki urban forest, etc are few examples of clean green Pakistan. Read: Pakistan Govt. Launches 6 Initiatives To Control Environmental Degradation
10 billion tree tsunami project has received international appreciation. The world is witnessing that Pakistan is serious about dealing with the negative impacts of climate change despite the fact that the country has a developing economy.
CONCLUSION
Children are the future generation and we must do something to protect our future generation. Sustainability is a crucial factor to save the Earth now. Bringing changes to our day-to-day life by implementing sustainable strategies would definitely make a difference in lowering the emissions of greenhouse gases. Pakistan’s contribution to greenhouse gases is less than 1% but as part of the global community, the consequences are inevitable to Pakistan. We must raise awareness and act together to save our children from the severe impacts of climate change.
Also check out: All You Need To Know About Carbon Footprint And Its Importance
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