On their webpage, titled ‘Resilience, environment, and climate change’ the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has indicated ’As per the worldwide climate index, Pakistan ranks 8th most vulnerable country to the impacts of climate change.

The variability in climate and weather patterns has increased the frequency of disasters which undermines development in Pakistan. Moreover, Pakistan’s economy remains highly vulnerable to future threats posed by climate change.’

To underline the deep extent of high level of exposure facing Pakistan to climate change, as per ‘Climate Risk Index 2025’ report published on February 12 by ‘Germanwatch’, the country has been highly affected by extreme weather over the last many years.

It needs to be pointed out here that ‘the Climate Risk Index (CRI) ranks countries by the human and economic toll of extreme weather’, and is being ‘published since 2006, is one of the longest running annual climate impact-related indices.’

The report highlighted that during 2022 floods, the country lost close to 1800 lives, and economic loss stood at US$54 billion. The report pointed out that ‘the CRI ranking indicates Pakistan, Belize, and Italy were the most affected countries in 2022… Pakistan (1st) ranks highest mainly because of exceptionally high relative economic losses.’

Moreover, the report covering data from 1993 to 2022, found that Pakistan was among the countries ‘affected by recurring extreme events (continuous threats)’; where ’the category of continuous threats has grown more relevant in the past few years. These countries continuously rank among the most affected in the long-term index and the index for the respective year.

Also regarding this category are clear indications that climate change contributes to transforming unusually extreme events into continued threats.’

Hence, given this background, which clearly indicates that not only is Pakistan among the top-most climate change vulnerable countries, such climate change-related disasters have picked up pace due to the fast-unfolding nature of climate change crisis.

So, not only does the country need to invest in building resilience against catastrophes, including rebuilding the damage already been caused, there is also a requirement to build capacity for early monitoring of ‘tipping points’ that lead to climate catastrophes.

In this regard, it needs to be pointed that scientists believe there are around 16 tipping points.

An article ‘World on brink of five “disastrous” climate tipping points, study finds’ published by The Guardian in September 2022 indicated: ‘The climate crisis has driven the world to the brink of multiple “disastrous” tipping points, according to a major study. It shows five dangerous tipping points may already have been passed due to the 1.1C of global heating caused by humanity to date.…In total, the researchers found evidence for 16 tipping points, with the final six requiring global heating of at least 2C to be triggered, according to the scientists’ estimations. The tipping points would take effect on timescales varying from a few years to centuries.’

Moreover, efforts are being made........

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