Alongside political and economic issues, Pakistan is also dealing with serious environmental challenges. In the last 20 years, the country has lost around $100 billion due to climate change, a figure close to its total foreign debt of about $130 billion. These environmental impacts have added to Pakistan’s difficulties, underscoring the need for stronger climate action and support.
HEC Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed highlighted environmental conflict as a major challenge for Pakistan. He warned that future conflicts may revolve around access to clean water and air, stressing that environmental issues must be addressed with collective wisdom.
Dr. Ahmed also noted that large areas of agricultural land are being converted into housing societies, which could lead to significant food security challenges.
“Nature is being disrupted, and the government needs to establish a system to prevent agricultural land from being repurposed,” said the HEC Chairman. He added that deforestation poses another major issue, as it has altered weather patterns, raised temperatures, and negatively impacted crops.
Saqib Basir noted that Pakistan has endured $100 billion in losses from climate change-related natural disasters over the past two decades, close to the country’s total external debt of approximately $130 billion since its inception. He added that rising temperatures and climate change have severely impacted Pakistan’s progress, with around 70 to 80 percent of development efforts being lost.