JALAL SHAH'S NOTES
Climate Experts
COP 27 2022
THE 27th annual Conference of Parties under The United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change, two-week-long conference, held in a at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
Using, at COP27, the warning slogan of ‘What happens in Pakistan will not stay in Pakistan’.
Says UNEP(UN environmental program): “Existing climate policies of the world – real action on the
ground, not just promises – equate to 2.8 C of warming by 2100”. Pakistan’s unprecedented rains
are being attributed to 1.2 C of warming. The world must understand that what started in Pakistan
will not stay here. If energy production and consumption patterns are not changed, the whole world
will have to face the negative consequences of climate change – and that too in the not-so-distant
future.
“It is all about climate justice, not charity. Developing countries lack resources to deal with climate
change-induced disasters,” the minister stressed. CLIMATE MINISTER Sherry Rehman.
FLOODS: NATURAL DISASTERS
Food Crisis
According to Save the Children the floods of 2022 have increased the number of people facing food
insecurity by 45 per cent; the number of people in Pakistan who were already facing a severe food
crisis before the floods has gone up from 5.96 million to 8.62m after the deluge.
Effect on Economy
“The record level of rains during August leading to severe flooding in Sindh and other parts of the
country further restricted business activities,” he said.
REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS
AGRICULTURE : WATER PUMP : CARBON EMISSIONS Dawn March
Clean energy alternatives as a means of reducing the fossil fuel footprint in the country, and to make
agricultural production sustainable on the basis of self-sufficient energy. A case in point is the
increase in the use of tube wells in agriculture since the 1960s, mainly due to government subsidies.
It has led to a significant increase in the area irrigated by groundwater. This has resulted in a decline
in the area irrigated exclusively by canal water.
The extraction of groundwater in the country relies heavily on non-renewable sources of energy,
such as fossil fuels, leading to high levels of carbon emissions. This not only contributes to
environmental pollution but also increases the cost of production for Pakistan’s farmers. The energy
that is required for the irrigation consume 2.5 million metric tons of oil. It generates a carbon
JALAL SHAH'S NOTES
footprint of 11 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide, which accounts for 6pc of the national carbon
footprint.
By replacing conventional pumping units, it is possible to save huge amount of energy. This would be
a substantial saving and could also be a worthwhile investment in the long run.
Indeed, the adoption of renewable energy in the agriculture sector, especially solar-powered
irrigation, can bring many benefits to the country, such as reducing carbon emissions, promoting
energy independence, and providing reliable energy sources to the farmers. However, it is crucial to
approach this issue with a very clear vision and after comprehensive planning that considers the
specific context of each region. Though these efforts are translated into action slowly at the farm
level, solar energy applications in irrigated agriculture should be adopted with clear, short-, medium-
, and long-term targets.
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ON PAKISTAN
Climate change is the most important issue of our age; we are the first to see its early warning
signals and the last to have a chance to prevent it from occurring. Living in a bubble of ignorance
can only get us so far; our globe is indeed a scene of melting glaciers, rising floods, animal
extinctions, extreme weather events and the list continues. Spreading climate change awareness
using every way possible, including seemingly insignificant forms such as writing school essays,
cannot be overstated.
Climate change has put a lot of countries at hazard, and the risk is significantly larger for developing
countries. Because of this serious problem, which is having a severe impact on the area, South Asia
has grown more disaster-prone. In general, climate change is accelerating and having severe
consequences for Pakistan.
Pakistan is geologically located in a region where the effects of climate change are being felt fairly
strongly. This climate disaster has had enormous economic, social, and environmental
consequences. Statistics from the 2010 floods demonstrate the devastating effects on the 20 million
individuals who lost their homes, were injured, or went missing. Similarly, another flood in Pakistan
in 2012 wreaked havoc. Climate change puts Pakistan’s income, housing, food, and security at
danger. Considering the tough facts, the Pakistani government must take urgent measures to
combat the detrimental effects of climate change. Without a doubt, the authorities are paying close
attention to this problem, which they see as sensitive and serious.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Pakistan faces “significantly higher average temperatures than the global average, with a potential
rise of 1.3°C-4.9°C by the 2090s over the 1986-2005 baseline,” according to a study, which also
noted that Pakistan had “some of the highest disaster risk levels in the world, ranked 18 out of 191
countries by the 2020 Inform Risk Index.” Under the most optimistic emission scenarios, the global
average temperature rise by 2080-99 will be around 3.7°C. Furthermore, changes in Pakistan’s
hydrologic regimens, and hence its water supplies, are largely unknown, although dry situations are
projected to become more common. Extreme climatic events are expected to become more
JALAL SHAH'S NOTES
common and intense, increasing catastrophe risk, particularly for the poor and minority populations.
Including an average monthly maximum of roughly 27°C and an average June maximum of 36°C,
Pakistan often witnessed some of the world’s greatest maximum temperatures. In Pakistan, the
current median yearly likelihood of a heat wave happening in any specific region is roughly 3
percent. As seen by estimates that over 65,000 individuals were hospitalized with heatstroke
during Pakistan’s 2015 heatwave, a huge section of the population is at danger. Many parts of
Pakistan endure yearly temperatures of 38°C or more, and when weather patterns combine to
produce protracted periods of heatwave, major human health consequences can occur. Between
1997 and 2015, Pakistan witnessed 126 heatwaves, an average of seven each year, with an
upward trend.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT
Pakistan is a low-middle-income country with a primarily agrarian economy; however, it is
gradually industrializing and more than a third of the population currently lives in cities. For food
and nutrition security, the country significantly relies on its climate-sensitive land, water, and forest
resources. Agriculture continues to be a significant occupation for 42 percent of the population.
Irrigation from the glacier-fed River Indus and its tributaries supports about 90 percent of farmland.
Glacier melt has accelerated due to climate change, increasing the likelihood of glacier lake
outpouring floods (GLOF) and mudslides downstream. Faster glacier melt, rising temperatures,
shifting seasons, and irregular rainfall patterns are all affecting the flow of the River Indus, which
will have a growing impact on agriculture, food production, and lives. Already, 39 percent of the
population lives in poverty, and the loss of livelihoods indicated in this research will have a
significant impact on people’s health and capacity to access healthcare. Heat fatigue, starvation, the
introduction of vector-borne diseases like dengue fever, and an increase in the burden of aquatic
infections will all have an impact on people’s capacity to work and make a living.
Migrants, internally displaced individuals, and religious and ethnic minorities will be particularly
susceptible, since they are frequently confined to hazard-prone land and face challenges to
treatment, including financial constraints resulting from informal work. Child marriages, early
births, and domestic violence may become more common as a result of climate change. Due to
decreasing food production, women and children will be more prone to malnourishment and
malnutrition. Millions of impoverished people will confront significant problems as the climate
changes, including severe events, health consequences, social protection, economic stability,
mobility, water security, cultural heritage, and other dangers. Climate change is inextricably linked to
global inequality patterns. Climate change harms the most vulnerable individuals the most,
although they contribute the least to the catastrophe. Female-headed families, children, persons
with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and ethnic minorities, landless tenants, migrant workers,
displaced persons, sexual and gender minorities, older people, and other socially excluded groups
are all highly prone to disasters. Their vulnerability stems from a variety of factors, including their
geographic location, financial, socioeconomic, cultural, and gender status, as well as their access to
medical care, decision-making, and justice.
REMEDY – SOLUTION
JALAL SHAH'S NOTES
Poor and oppressed people are demanding for more aggressive climate action. Climate change is
more than an environmental disaster; it is also a social crisis that requires us to confront issues of
inequality on many levels: between rich and poor nations; between men and women; and between
generations. For more effective development outcomes, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) has underlined the need for climate solutions that adhere to climate justice principles
(i.e., recognition, procedural, and distributive justice).
Climate change mitigation initiatives frequently disproportionately affect the most disadvantaged.
Climate change adaptation measures can impose a greater financial burden on poor households in
the absence of well-designed and supportive policies; for example, policies to expand public
transportation or carbon pricing may result in higher public transportation fares, which will
disproportionately affect poorer households. Similarly, restricting forestry activities to particular
periods of the year might have an impact on indigenous populations that rely on woods for their
livelihoods all year. In addition to addressing the distributional effects of decarbonizing economies,
there is a need to understand and address social inclusion, cultural, and political economy issues,
such as deciding on the types of transitions required (economic, social, etc.) and identifying
opportunities to address social inequality during these processes.
Furthermore, communities offer to the problem of improving resilience and tackling climate change
unique views, skills, and a wealth of information. Rather than being seen as recipients, they should
be treated as participants in developing resilience. Community leaders may define goals, influence
ownership, and create and administer investment programmes that are responsive to their
community’s needs, according to research and experience.
In creating climate resilience, the IPCC’s newest report highlights the relevance of many types of
knowledge such as scientific, Indigenous, and local knowledge. Communities and marginalized
people may be connected to higher-level policy, technical, and financial support for locally relevant
and successful development outcomes through innovations in climate finance architecture.
WATER SCARCITY ISSUE
UN CONFERENCE ON WATER ISSUES
"We’ve broken the water cycle, destroyed ecosystems and contaminated groundwater," Antonio
Guterres.
"We are draining humanity’s lifeblood through overconsumption and unsustainable use, and
evaporating it through global heating," Guterres told the conference.
A report by UN-Water and UNESCO released Tuesday warned of too little or too much water in
some places, and contaminated water in others — conditions it said to highlight the imminent risk of
a global water crisis.
"If nothing is done... it will keep on being between 40% and 50% of the population of the world that
does not have access to sanitation and roughly 20-25% of the world will not have access to safe
water supply," report lead author Richard Connor told AFP.
The report also warned that water "scarcity is becoming endemic" due to overconsumption and
pollution, while global warming will increase seasonal water shortages in both areas with abundant
water as well as those already strained.
JALAL SHAH'S NOTES
According to the most recent UN climate study, published Monday by the IPCC (Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change) expert panel, "roughly half of the world’s population currently experience
severe water scarcity for at least part of the year." Those shortages have the most significant impact
on the poor, Connor told AFP.
Women and girls are also "disproportionately affected," actor Matt Damon, co-founder of the non-
profit Water.org, said Wednesday, adding that "millions of girls aren’t in school because of this,
because they’re collecting water."
At least 2 billion people (globally) use a drinking water source contaminated with
feces(bodily waste discharged through the anus : EXCREMENT), putting them at risk of contracting
cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio,"
The Chashma-III Reactor : A Civil Nuclear Power Plant
Pakistan held a ground-breaking ceremony on 14 July 2023 for what will be its largest civil nuclear
power plant — The Chashma-III reactor, a joint collaboration with China, in Chashma — that will
contribute 1,200 megawatts of electricity daily to the national grid and is estimated to cost at least
$3.5 billion.
Over the past 30 years, Beijing has installed four nuclear power generation units in Chashma,
collectively generating about 1,300 megawatts, with China providing enriched uranium for fuel.
Raja Ali Raza, the head of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, said the nuclear plant project will
be completed by 2030.
"C-5 will be Pakistan's largest generation-III plus nuclear power project," Raza said. " This project has
brought PAEC one step closer to its envisaged goal of production of 8,800 megawatts electric cheap
and clean energy."
The projects are part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, which has also built road
networks, highways, ports, and industrial zones with direct Chinese investment and "soft loans,"
expected to increase to about $62 billion by 2030 when the mega undertaking is due to be
complete.
Pakistan and officials at the International Atomic Energy Agency say the country's civilian nuclear
plants work in line with the global watchdog's safety guidelines.
