| Popis: |
Pakistan is on the forefront of climate extremes, as evidenced by the 2010 and 2011 super floods, which cost accumulated damages of over $U.S.15 billion, roughly 5% of its GDP. It has also shown remarkable resilience in coping with humanitarian crises, such as the 2005 earthquake that killed over 70,000 people, while the death toll from the War on Terror and as a front-line state exceeds 40,000. It is ranked as the top country in terms of the costliest climate-related disasters during the last 10 years, as seen in the 2012–13 cold waves that broke records of the past 50 years. This has reminded policymakers that without chalking out comprehensive adaptation plans with effective community-based strategies, it may be difficult to address climate change at the grassroots, with multiple threats and consequences for over 180 million Pakistanis. It is putting into place new institutions, adaptation plans, and a climate change policy (2012) designed to develop greater resilience and transformation. Pakistan’s case has much to offer the international community in terms of learning how to cope and adjust to the ramifications of climate change. This chapter sheds light on its experience and what is being done to overcome difficulties that persist, even long after the extreme events are over, by presenting it as a case study, and discusses policy options in light of the UNFCCC’s COP 18 recommendations to urgently focus on loss and damage strategies, methodologies, and policies as a way forward for climate change adaptation. |
