ISLAMABAD: The Economic Survey 2024 has issued a stark warning that Pakistan faces an existential threat from the escalating climate crisis, as the country grapples with worsening extreme weather events, record-breaking temperatures, and erratic rainfall patterns.
According to the report released Pakistan experienced 224 extreme natural disaster events between 1980 and 2024, with floods emerging as the most devastating affecting over 100 million people and causing $36.4 billion in damages. The report emphasizes that the climate emergency is a present-day reality, not a distant possibility, with impacts already visible in rising climate anomalies.
The year 2024 marked new highs in temperature and rainfall anomalies, further exposing Pakistan’s vulnerability. The country recorded 13 deadly heatwave events resulting in 2,741 deaths, while five tropical cyclones led to $1.7 billion in damages. Despite being fewer in number, droughts affected 6.9 million people and caused $247 million in damages, severely disrupting the agrarian economy.
Highlighting Pakistan’s minimal contribution to global emissions, the survey nonetheless ranked the country among the most climate-vulnerable nations. It called for urgent global emissions reductions and the development of localized adaptation strategies to combat rising risks, such as monsoon floods, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), and air pollution.
The report pointed to past catastrophes notably the 2010 and 2022 floods as evidence of the immense economic and social costs of climate change, including displacement and the need for massive capital investment. As Pakistan’s climate risks intensify, the survey stressed the importance of investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, renewable energy, and ecosystem restoration.
It concluded that converting this vulnerability into resilience will require coordinated action at both national and international levels, aligned with efforts to create a sustainable and secure future for the country.
