PCL TALKS : "Climate Change in Pakistan"

By LEAP-Pakistan

Events

at February 14, 2020

LEAP-Pakistan has started a new series of seminars, conferences and interviews called PCL TALKS. This will help the students and publications gain valuable expert knowledge and will broaden their horizon. In addition, this will provide them with a platform to connect with pioneers in the respected fields of Law, Politics, Governance and Academia and open vistas for their career development.

On 4th February, LEAP-Pakistan hosted a panel talk. The panel consisted of Ms. Sara Hayat, Ms. Aneesa Agha and Mr. Raza Goraya who enlightened the students about the issue of ‘Climate Change in Pakistan.’

The Framework Convention on climate change, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in its Article 1 defines Climate change as: ‘A change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability obscured over comparable time periods.’ As per NASA, 97 percent of climate scientists agree that climate-warming trends over the past century are very likely due to human activities.

As far as Pakistan is concerned, it is not contributing much to global warming and climate change, yet it is the fifth most affected country. The Global Change Impact Studies Centre of Pakistan shows that the mean annual temperature has increased in the recent past with Sindh and Baluchistan being most affected. Pakistan’s water cycle is the primary affected area of climate change. Agriculture is one of the major sectors likely to be adversely affected by climate change. Climate change can disrupt food availability, reduce access to food, and affect food quality. Pakistan has also suffered economically due to climate change. According to experts, Pakistan has faced around 150 freak weather incidents as a result of climate change in the past 20 years: flash floods, smog in winter, forest fires in summer, melting glaciers, freaky heatwaves, landslides, displaced population

Although developing countries like Pakistan claim less responsibility for climate change, yet the geographical location and socio-economic fragility makes them more vulnerable to the environmental, social and economic ramifications of climate change. Moreover, the lack of resources and capabilities to adapt to the changes worsen the situation. Some of the climate threats to Pakistan include:

Rising temperatures resulting in enhanced heat and water-stressed conditions.
Further decrease in the already scanty forest cover.
Considerable increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, coupled with erratic monsoon rains causing frequent and intense floods and droughts.
Threat to coastal areas due to projected sea level rise and increased cyclonic activity due to higher sea surface temperatures.
Increased health risks and climate change induced migration.

The panel discussed the various issues regarding climate change and how individuals can combat this pressing cause of concern. LEAP-Pakistan’s Deputy Director, Ms. Mehak Zaraq, moderated the panel, asking them various questions pertaining to the climate crisis and here’s how they responded —

Q- What is climate change and how is it threatening us?

A- Climate change is the bone of contention these days. It is very much there in practicality since as per the most recent reports, Pakistan is the fifth most affected country in the world by climate change and this has resulted in $3.8 billion loss. The first thing to distinguish is that climate change and weather are two separate entities. The daily weather updates displayed by various weather apps such as Accu-weather etc. doesn’t constitute as climate change. However, these weather changes for a prolonged time are what are called climate change. It can be referred as an atmospheric condition of a region for around 30 years. For example, Lahore’s weather is rapidly changing in both summers and winters. The human activities such as fossil fuel emissions, greenhouse gas emissions etc. also called anthropogenic climate change are so adverse that they are impacting the natural weather patterns. These gases absorb rays and increase the temperature of the planet. One of the repercussions is the 3*C in global temperature. The glaciers of Pakistan are melting at a very fast rate and by 2060 they will possibly melt if these greenhouse gases are not controlled. This will result in rural-urban migration, increased flooding and impact agriculture. The main cities like Lahore, Karachi etc. are already crowded with people. Hence, a migration will result in over-population and lack of resources.

Q-What are the issues related with climate change that are not frequently discussed?

A- One of the issues not frequently mentioned in the textbooks, is that climate change is often viewed as a problem for the future. It is an issue which is very much present. for example, the ice melting in Greenland which was predicted by scientists?? or the wildfires in Australia. There is a Ministry for Climate change which has a specific budget. However, its focus is the Billion Tree Tsunami. The tree plantation is a wonderful initiative, but other reasonable preventive measures should be taken alongside. Another problem linked with this issue is that people view it as an issue related to charity. It must be clarified that climate change is a political issue and an existential threat.

Q- Does a legal framework in Pakistan exist for the prevention of climate change?

A- In short words, No. On a flip side, there was a Climate Change Act 2017 passed after a petition was filed at High Court and a Climate Change Commission was formed. Apart from that, there are several treaties signed by various states. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was formed in 1992, followed by non-ambitious goals set by countries in terms of limiting greenhouse gases. The whole discussion pertains to climate justice. Developed countries have contributed the most to climate change and therefore are not affected by it. Similarly, developing countries which have minimally impacted climate changed suffered the most by it. In 2015 under the UNFCCC all the parties signed Paris agreement 2015 which essentially lays few obligations The Paris Agreement builds upon the Convention and for the first time brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to assist developing countries to do so. As such, it charts a new course in the global climate effort.

The Paris Agreement central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Additionally, the agreement aims to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change. To reach these ambitious goals, appropriate financial flows, a new technology framework and an enhanced capacity building framework will be put in place, thus supporting action by developing countries and the most vulnerable countries, in line with their own national objectives. Similarly, Pakistan too ratified this agreement on 11 November 2016.

Since Pakistan is a duality state, one must transpose an international law for it to become part of national law. Its main goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions below 2 degrees.

Q- Is there any obligation on the corporate sector by the government to reduce their waste?

A- As far as the obligation is concerned, the Environment Protection Act (EPA) was passed after the 18th Amendment and is governed by provincial laws i.e. Punjab. Under EPA, before a commencement of a project that will have any sorts of adverse effects on the environment, one must ask for permission from the environmental agents. Greenhouse gases are not defined under EPA since it involves micro issues.

Q- How does climate change impact agriculture since 60% of our population is dependent on the income generated by it?

A- Water is mainly used for agricultural purposes. We grow much more than what we consume. In order to grow 1Kg of rice, 3 litres of water is needed. Crops like sugarcane, rice are water intensive and mainly exported. In order to save water, which is an essential element, it is imperative to start a national debate on reforming the agriculture methods. The water table near Sargodha is very low. As a result, people have started fish farming. Farmers need to be trained more and there needs to be change in the policy making with relevance to agriculture. In agricultural areas, farmers often construct artificial ‘bund’ to prevent flooding and destruction of their land. This ‘bund’ is a short-term solution but does help temporarily in absorbing the water. However, more measures need to be taken by government in order to solve this growing water crisis and a policy needs to be made to combat flooding.

Q- What impact do Chlorofluorocarbons have on climate change? What is the UN policy regarding it?

A- There is a prohibition on using artificial gases which further disrupt the Ozone layer. One can say it can prevent by changing consumer behavior patterns i.e limiting Air conditioner usage, plant more trees etc. New findings from a study released this week in Nature report that emissions of CFC-11, the second most abundant ozone-depleting gas controlled by the Montreal Protocol, have unexpectedly increased in recent years, despite a global ban on production since 2010.

While current scientific models show that the ozone layer remains on track to recovery by mid-century, continued increase in global CFC-11 emissions will put that progress at risk. The Scientific Assessment Panel of the Montreal Protocol, which includes the authors of the report, will finalise its quadrennial assessment by the end of the year and we expect these findings to be presented to the parties to the Montreal Protocol, who will carefully review and address them.

It is important to note that these findings also highlight the efficacy of the Montreal Protocol, its institutions and mechanisms, with science at their core. So long as scientists remain vigilant, new production or emission of ozone depleting chemicals will not go unnoticed.

Towards the end, the panel interacted with the audience regarding their concerns related to this pressing issue of Climate Change. Shields were given by Ms. Amna Riaz as a token of the appreciation to the respected panelists.

Speaker Profile:

Sara Hayat is a lawyer and consultant specialising in climate change law and policy. She completed her first LLM from Durham University, UK and practiced law in Pakistan before going for a second LLM to the University of Michigan, US to study climate change law and environmental justice. She is also a proud member of Climate Action Pakistan.

Aneesa Agha is a Partner at Raja Mohammad Akram & Co. in Lahore. She advises and represents clients on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious matters, in particular in the banking, energy, oil & gas, construction and manufacturing sectors.

Raza Goroya is a lawyer and one of the founders of Clean Air Campaign Pakistan. He also teaches at Beaconhouse National University (BNU) and was one of the organizers for the Climate March. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Next Generation Pakistan.