Climate challenge: Issues and remedies

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in global temperatures and weather patterns. While the Earth's climate has changed naturally

Aslam J. Bhatti

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in global temperatures and weather patterns. While the Earth’s climate has changed naturally over millions of years, modern climate change is uniquely driven by human activities. The primary driver of modern climate change is human activity. Over the past 200 years, human actions have released massive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases act like a greenhouse, trapping the sun’s heat and steadily raising the Earth’s average temperature. The reliance on coal, oil, and gas for energy is the single largest contributor to global warming. Powering homes and industries relies heavily on burning coal and gas, which releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂). Most cars, trucks, ships, and airplanes run on petroleum-based fuels like gasoline and diesel. Factories producing steel, cement, plastics, and clothes consume massive amounts of energy and release industrial gases. When forests are cut down or burned, the carbon stored in the trees is released back into the atmosphere. Destroying forests destroys the Earth’s natural ability to filter out greenhouse gases. Animals like cows and sheep produce large amounts of methane gas during digestion. Methane traps heat far more effectively than CO₂.Nitrogen-based fertilizers used in crop farming release nitrous oxide, another highly potent greenhouse gas. Modern consumer habits heavily drive-up industrial production and waste. Rotting trash and food waste in landfills release significant amounts of methane and carbon dioxide. The constant production and disposal of plastic, electronics, and fast fashion demand continuous fossil fuel energy.

Our planet faces several critical threats due to the rapidly changing climate. These disruptions impact ecosystems, economies, human health, and global stability. Rising global temperatures fuel more destructive and unpredictable weather events. Warmer oceans increase the power and frequency of tropical storms, hurricanes, and typhoons. Higher temperatures dry out soil and deplete water sources, causing severe water shortages. Extended dry seasons and extreme heat create perfect conditions for massive, uncontrollable forest fires. Heavy, concentrated rainfall and rising sea levels trigger devastating floods in both coastal and inland areas. Unpredictable weather directly disrupts the basic resources required for human survival. Changing rain patterns and extreme heatwaves lower agricultural yields for staple crops like wheat, rice, and corn. Melting glaciers and drying rivers reduce the availability of clean drinking water for billions of people. Oceans absorb excess carbon dioxide, becoming more acidic and wiping out marine life that coastal communities rely on for food. Climate change acts as a major amplifier of existing health and social crises. Extreme heat waves cause spikes in heatstroke, cardiovascular issues, and death, especially among vulnerable populations. Warmer climates allow disease-carrying insects, like mosquitoes, to spread malaria and dengue fever into new regions. Floods, rising sea levels, and unlivable conditions force millions of people to abandon their homes, causing mass migration crises. The financial toll of repairing destruction and adapting to new climates is staggering. Floods and storms destroy roads, bridges, power grids, and homes, costing hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild. Industries like agriculture, tourism, and fishing suffer massive job losses and lower productivity.

Solving climate change requires a global transition to net-zero emissions by replacing fossil fuels with clean energy, protecting natural carbon sinks, and altering consumption habits.

Replace coal, oil, and gas with solar, wind, geothermal, and hydro energy. Build smart grids and large-scale battery storage to manage renewable power efficiently. Utilize safe nuclear power as a consistent, low-carbon baseline energy source. Shift from internal combustion engines to electric cars, buses, and trucks. Expand affordable electric trains, subways, and bus rapid transit systems. Design cities with dedicated infrastructure for walking and cycling. Install electric heat pumps, high-efficiency insulation, and LED lighting. Use green hydrogen to produce low-emission steel, cement, and chemicals. Design products for longevity, reuse, and easy recycling to reduce industrial waste. Protect existing rainforests and plant native trees to absorb carbon dioxide. Use farming techniques that restore soil health and trap carbon. Reduce food waste and adopt more plant-forward diets to lower methane from livestock. Implement carbon taxes or cap-and-trade systems to make polluters pay. Redirect financial subsidies away from fossil fuels and into clean technology. Fund green infrastructure projects in developing nations to ensure an equitable transition.

Pakistan is one of the countries hit hardest by climate change, even though we contribute very little CO2 globally. Here are our main challenges right now;

Glaciers melting fast and sudden floods like 2022. But then rivers get less water long-term.

Groundwater dropping: Lahore, Karachi, Quetta – tubewells are going 200-300ft deeper every few years.

Uneven monsoon: Rain comes late or all at once, so crops fail.

Extreme heat: Pakistan is warming faster than world average. Sindh & South Punjab now regularly cross 50°C.This means heatstroke deaths, crop burning, and AC load and more load shedding.

Smog & air pollution: Lahore, Multan and Peshawar get world-worst AQI in winter. Reasons are crop burning, traffic, brick kilns and less green cover. Kids and elders suffer most from lungs and heart issues.

Agriculture & food security: Wheat, rice, cotton, mangoes, all need specific weather. When heat comes early or rain is off-season, yield drops 20-30%. That’s why food prices jump every year.

Coastal & glacial threats: Karachi coast and Sea level rise which causes cyclones, erosion and saltwater in farms.

Northern areas/ Glacial Lake Outburst Floods GLOFs. Melting glaciers can burst and wash away villages.

Pakistan can’t stop global climate change alone, but we can get “climate smart” to protect ourselves. We have 3 big advantages: sun, people, and trees.

Here’s what we at we can do;

Water is our number one survival issue. We have to adopt drip and pot irrigation: Like we do it with matka. Govt and farmers need to shift from flooding fields to drip and sprinklers. This will save 60% water. We will have to save rainwater. Every new house and building should have rooftop tanks. Like Lahore gets monsoon rain and we have to store it. We have to protect glaciers: Plant trees in northern areas to slow glacier melt and stop landslides. We have to use safe energy resources. We have to protect our air from heat, pollution and smog. We have to adopt solar and wind energy. Pakistan has 300 sunny days in a year. Solar on rooftops and canal-tops can cut coal use and load shedding. We have to plant billions of trees. This can be a great start. We have to protect old trees too, not just plant new ones.

We have to stop crop burning: Give farmers machines to turn stubble into compost and fuel instead of burning. It can reduce Lahore smog massively. We will have to build green cities. Every street, school, and mosque needs trees. Trees are natural ACs. Cities like Karachi and Lahore need “cool shelters” and early heatwave warnings on SMS.

We will have to give climate education to our young generation. We have to make climate protection measures as part of the syllabus and tell the students that it is our national and religious duty to take care of our environment. The Government makes policy, but real change happens when citizens plant, save water and reduce waste.