Written by: Sangat Zakria Shahwani
Climate change is being linked to extreme rainfall and flooding across the world. It has affected many countries, particularly Pakistan in recent years, which is also included in the list of those countries that are badly affected due to climate change. Floods in 2022 impacted the country’s agriculture sector as well as the economic sector. As a result, it is estimated that Pakistan lost 30 billion rupees and thousands of people due to devastating floods linked to climate change. Sindh and Balochistan were among the most affected provinces in Pakistan by the 2022 floods. Millions of people in Sindh and Balochistan were displaced, and the agriculture sector in both provinces was destroyed beyond repair.
Since the manufacturing sector of Balochistan’s Panjgur district is closely linked with the agriculture sector, it is vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The district of Panjgur’s value-added goods, which are a significant source of income for many people, rely on locally produced raw materials. The agriculture industry, including dates, onions, grapes, cotton, and other agricultural products, was completely decimated in 2022 because of the flood and the increasingly irregular weather patterns that were impeding agricultural production. Most of this loss, however, fell on the farmers.
Furthermore, climate change will also cause a wide range of social issues, some of which are standalone issues while others are a direct result of economic decline. Unemployment will likely increase dramatically because of how heavily agriculture will be impacted. The fact that the labour employed in this sector is among the lowest paid and least protected by state welfare makes the situation even more concerning. Unlike the flood of 2022, the recent excessive rains in Panjgur district have badly impacted the agricultural sector numerous times throughout the same season. Despite the seriousness of the situation in Panjgur, neither the government nor NGOs have offered any aid or grants to the affected farms and farmers, who are in urgent need of assistance.
The Balochistan government should help address this grave problem, which is getting worse every day in the province. To educate the public about climate change and their responsibilities, the government should organize climate-related events. Additionally, the general public has an obligation to contribute to the mitigation of widespread deforestation as trees are a major source of carbon dioxide, which keeps our atmosphere clean and help maintain a stable temperature.
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