From risk to resilience

Pakistan ranks the eighth most vulnerable nation on the Global Climate Risk Index 2021 and is among the top three for global air pollution levels. This vulnerability is compounded by factors such as El Niño, which disrupts agriculture and water resources, highlighting the critical need for comprehensive climate risk management. The country is expected to encounter a food shortage of 70 million tonnes by 2025 and has already seen a 23 per cent decrease in cotton productivity due to flooding in 2022. These are not distant threats but current realities. Additionally, the agricultural sector, a vital component of the national supply chain, could shrink by up to 40pc by 2050 due to climate impacts. Furthermore, the anticipated disappearance of 7,000 glaciers within the next 70 years poses a significant risk to water supplies, underscoring the urgency of strategic climate risk management.