SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) 163-page analysis outlines how warmer temperatures and rising seas could hit South Asia’s varied economies, home to nearly 1.5 billion people. It concludes that the “impacts of climate change are likely to result in huge economic, social and environmental damage to South Asian countries”. Differing in geographical characteristics, political scenarios and culture, the South Asian nations are in agreement regarding the most serious implications of climate change that they are facing. Water management, agricultural issues, and loss and damage from natural disasters are the gravest points of concern for these nations. Repeated incidents of flooding, shifting monsoon patterns, decline in productivity of wheat and rice, water shortage and the frequent instances of droughts in the semi-arid regions are plunging these countries into further risk and vulnerability.
Following the COP20 Lima Conference in December 2014 where the SAARC bloc stood up as a single entity for its rights under the UNFCCC principles, this regional workshop was a collective effort to spur discourse on collaborated response to climate change. Country representatives talked about the progress of the National Adaptation Plans and discussed country specific and region-wise challenges.
High population growth rate in some countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh were highlighted as a major policy concern, specifically in context of rising urbanisation trends. The need for immediate urban planning and the relocation of people from climate-sensitive areas to safer locations were discussed at length. The issue of the drowning islands of Maldives and the challenge of resettlement of its population looms as a big policy concern at the regional as well as the global level. Moreover, the prospects of shifting from non-renewable to eco-friendly energy resources were discussed, specifically for countries like Pakistan where energy deficit is a major development issue. The participants were in agreement that to tackle the challenges of climate change, a multi-stakeholder approach is required, one that actively involves the government, bureaucracy, academia, civil society and the private sector.
Underlining that capacity building is the keystone to effective adaptation to climate change. The representatives advocated a balanced investment in physical infrastructure and skills of the population. They stressed upon focusing on education and awareness, health, agriculture sector, water management and disaster preparedness to increase the resilience of people and reduce their vulnerability. Besides individual and community level, focus should also be directed at institutional capacity building as, quite often, it is the institutions that are inefficient in setting their priorities for strategic response to climate change. Though it is certain that climate is changing and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, it is still uncertain how much and in what fashion it will change. The challenge for research, policy and implementation is to remain one step ahead of the process so that farmers’ livelihoods and national food security are not compromised.
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