Although Pakistan contributes to a very small percentage of greenhouse gases, it seems as though it’s the most impacted by climate change. However, because it is an underdeveloped country, Pakistan is not likely to adapt to such changes well. The glaciers’ melting in the Himalayas is one example of climate change in Pakistan. According to “Climate Change and Its Impact on “the Yield of Major Food Crops: Evidence from Pakistan,” “The major impact of climate change is on agricultural production due to changes in rain pattern, temperature, floods, droughts, and negative effects on water and land resources.”
Climate change impacts various sectors of the economy; an example would be the effects it has on agriculture. Glaciers’ melting and causing flooding causes soil erosion, making it virtually impossible to use the soil to have any vegetation. This would cause some individuals to have a lack of food and jobs. While it can be hard to wrap one’s mind around and understand climate change and its various impacts, these challenges of climate change need to be recognized and addressed.
According to “Climate Change and Its Impact on the Yield of Major Food Crops: Evidence from Pakistan,” “The results of the study reveal that maximum temperature adversely affects wheat production, while the effect of minimum temperature is positive and significant for all crops. Rainfall effect towards the yield of a selected crop is negative, except for wheat.” All variables in weather impact agriculture in a different way. Understanding how innate change fits in with these variables is important to see the situation improve.
According to “Water-Related Impacts of Climate Change on Agriculture and Subsequently on Public Health: A Review for Generalists with Particular Reference to Pakistan,” flooding can cause major damage to the vegetation and the lives of people living in such areas. “Water quality and waterborne diseases like hepatitis, cholera, typhoid, malaria, and dengue fever are increasing due to…poor hygienic conditions and inappropriate water management.” In underdeveloped countries, crops are often irrigated with wastewater which would potentially be taken in by vegetables and other cash crops, ultimately becoming part of the food chain. This would cause the spread of disease, impacting public health. Climate change is progressing, impacting different aspects of our lives. Becoming educated and understanding the change we need to implement are important. Gaining knowledge about this topic and working together to come to a solution are key for a resolution. While the results may not be immediate, we have to take the initiative. This progress will be slow but will help future generations and their tomorrow.
In conclusion, what would be interesting to see is how climate change impact affects developed countries versus underdeveloped countries. While the impact may exist everywhere, the results may show up differently in the respective populations. The reason this may happen is because certain populations may be exposed to different things in their environment. Many variables can impact climate change, and how it then affects the region in which a particular population lives. Different aspects of people’s lives can be affected with climate change; an example would be agriculture, which would cause a decline in food and a rise in price. Survival would be difficult because if something like agriculture is not available, some jobs would not exist. This would make cash flow scarce to run households. Changes in our lifestyle day-to-day will help to resolve this growing issue. Understanding that this is an issue that needs to be addressed and that awareness has to be spread is paramount. Let’s resolve this before it is too late or beyond reversal.
References :
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5483611/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5129261/
One Response
A great read. The issue related to agriculture brought to mind the “Smog” issue that has been developing over the course of few years, in winter, in Pakistan. Most specifically in its provincial capital, Lahore. Smog is a combination of fog and smoke that occurs on winter mornings and causes deadly smoke to linger in air in the form of a dense, blue cloud.
Smog is very dangerous to our health and especially bad for kids. When smog is inhaled it causes bad coughing, triggers asthma, and some particles travel into air vessels causing irritation and cancer.When such conditions occur in the city the government announces a day off from school for young students, closure of business and public places. This is a very dangerous situation. For many who are not literate, they may not be aware of this problem, but it is important to educate people for the sake of the children and the family that are directly being effected by it.
Despite the lack of information or literacy levels, it is important to teach local people in Pakistan about their immediate contribution to smog and its many impacts. These actions include through the impacts which include, but are not limited to, burning the left overs of the rice or wheat crops, respectively after when the season ends.
Smog is considered a country-wide state of emergency and the conditions are not even safe for travelers. In many cities people travel via bikes and motorcycles because they cannot afford cars and gas is very expensive. The traffic in modern cities reaches its threshold point, causing bad gridlocks that can last for at least 8 hours.
Thank you for wonderful article, I would love to have you look at the concern of smog to understand better where we are headed.
Thank you
Shoaib