Where does Balochistan stand on World Environment Day?
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
EACH year on 5 June World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated globally. Since 1973 the day has been observed annually. Ostensibly, climate change is becoming a bigger threat than pandemic and terrorism. Pakistan’s share in global greenhouse emission is mere one per cent but is the 7th most climate vulnerable country. Within Pakistan, Balochistan’s greenhouse emission is almost none. However, the District Vulnerability Index for Pakistan DVIP states out of 20 most climate vulnerable districts of Pakistan, 17 districts are placed in Balochistan while 2 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa KP and one in Sindh. These districts witness rising temperature, frequent floods, droughts and rainfall shifts. The above-mentioned districts also face poor road infrastructure, remoteness and dissatisfactory education and health services. More than 70 per cent people in Balochistan live in rural areas depending on agriculture and livestock sectors. These sectors are the most affected by the climate change. In 2022 floods major cities of Balochistan remained disconnected from the rest of Pakistan. Road, dams and railways infrastructures were badly damaged. The total losses of the province in 2022 floods were around $ 5 billion intensifying poverty and environmental extremism. More than 6.9 million acres of farmland were affected, whereas 168, 000 livestock died. And 2,280 km of roads, 43 bridges, 219 flood protection structures were severely damaged. In 32 affected districts nearly 284,312 houses were destroyed. The per capita come of the province is $1000 dollar while rest of the country has $1600 dollar reflecting the province is now at top in terms of poverty. An expert on climate change, Dr. Muhammad Tahir Khan argues, “Balochistan has been witnessing the effects of climate change since the late 1990s. Now, the threat has metastasized and people are on the receiving end.” In drought-hit areas, people “don’t have water for themselves and for their livestock,” forcing migration toward Quetta, whi