Published On: Sat, Apr 2nd, 2016

Changing climate of Pakistan

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Industrial revolution between 18th  and 19th  century not only introduced people to a world of advancements and comfort but at the same it exposed earth to a serious threat of climate change which is not an outcome of a decade or two but it took a couple of centuries to attain this height of change. There are number of causes and effects of this slow but severe change.

Pakistan is one of those few countries which is being the direct target of this hazard according to UN report while its contribution to this climate change is just 1%.One of the recent evidence of this report is the heat wave that hit Pakistan last summer killing several people and the short duration of winter. The change in weather is not a case of few years experts knows that it takes several decades and is certainly related to the global warming which originated due to misbalance in the composition of greenhouse gases.

It is the role of atmosphere to absorb the heat coming from sun to keep the temperature of the land moderate. If the concentration of carbon dioxide in atmosphere increases it will lead to increase in earth’s temperature. Naturally the temperature of earth is 15c but due to excess emissions of carbon dioxide, which recently have been recorded to increase about 66% since the age of dinosaurs, consequently leads the temperature of earth far too high. The credit goes to human which has been playing a lead role by industrialization, burning of fossil fuels, cutting down the trees, construction of new projects ,increasing population are all responsible in ascending the concentration of carbon dioxide in atmosphere that is elevating the earth’s temperature day by day.

The climate change in Pakistan can easily be observed by the duration of weathers that is causing the variation in the period of sowing and harvesting of crops thus resulting in another serious problem of low agricultural production for Pakistan is an agricultural country. On the other hand this climate change is causing rapid melting of glaciers of Pakistan as about 40 to 60% of glaciers melts annually, the ratio is comparatively higher than any other area of earth that demonstrates that if the Himalayan glaciers keeps on melting at this rate they will soon disappear from the land of Pakistan .

This melting results in disastrous floods and heightening the level of sea which is dangerous for coastal areas and Islands. Due to changing climate Pakistan is recording low annual rainfall and scarcity of water causing drought that took many lives in Thar. According to a UN report Pakistan is one of those 17 states that is facing extreme scarcity of water.

Not only Pakistan is vulnerable to it but it is the common peril faced globally by every state and needs to be tackled by involvement not only of every state but of every individual. Government should pay attention towards it and should take steps regarding to this issue by formulating a proper policy and implementing it.

First of all every individual needs to be aware about this climate change then other initiatives like planting more and more trees as trees absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen, reducing industrial pollution, population control, utility of solar energy, avoid littering and burning it as in addition to government it is responsibility of every single individual to move forward and contribute to save the environment.

Mehwish akhtar

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