ISLAMABAD: The World Bank’s special report, “Climate Silence in Pakistan,” foresees a staggering 18 to 20% downturn in Pakistan’s GDP by 2050 owing to severe climate-related events, environmental degradation, and air pollution.
Pakistan has been profoundly impacted by climate change, evident in the altered weather patterns and devastating floods that have besieged the nation.
The report reveals that 8 out of 10 individuals in Pakistan express deep concern about the repercussions of climate change.
Notably, women and those with higher education levels exhibit heightened levels of concern.
Interestingly, the perception of climate change’s urgency tends to align more closely with economic issues. The report emphasizes that individuals with lower educational attainment are more inclined to distrust all sources of climate-related information.
Furthermore, while parents express a strong desire for climate change education for their children, only a fraction actually engage in discussions about it at home.
Despite the prevalent concern regarding climate change, there is a glaring lack of support for both personal and government-led actions to address it.
The report suggests that strategies to incite action on climate change should pivot toward encouraging behavioral shifts by highlighting potential financial savings, rather than solely focusing on the climate impact.
As with numerous developing nations, Pakistan grapples with the repercussions of climate change, including escalating temperatures and an upsurge in natural disasters, particularly floods.
Despite the abundance of evidence illustrating the consequences of climate change, there’s a critical need for deeper analysis into the underlying drivers influencing individual perceptions and behaviors related to climate change within Pakistan.
To bridge this information gap, the policy note delves into socio-economic factors shaping people’s perceptions of climate change and the actions that can effectively mitigate its impact.
