Global Warming in Pakistan and Its Impact on Public Health as Viewed Through a Health Equity Lens

Abstract

Pakistan is extremely vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. The recent monsoon season caused widespread, deadly flooding, affecting 15% of the total population when extreme heat waves were followed by the worst rains and floods in the country's history. But Pakistan was not the cause of its own misfortune. The atmospheric buildup of carbon dioxide (CO2) is the greatest contributor to climate change. If we look at the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, we find that Pakistan is, like all developing nations, essentially a non-contributor of the problem, contributing considerably less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, although significant factors exacerbating the effects of climate change in Pakistan include an inadequate sewage system, air pollution from industrial waste, and deforestation, the country could not afford to proactively fix these, nor prepare for flooding and heavy rains. It lacks the funding for climate resilience efforts. As a result, Pakistan is suffering from a high prevalence of poor health outcomes. Children, the elderly, women, and the homeless, especially those living with poverty and disease, are at a high risk of morbidity and mortality. Since mitigating the devastating effects of climate change will continue to be an ongoing challenge for Pakistan, it urgently needs financial investment so that it can build climate-resilient infrastructures and institute mechanisms to deal with global warming's worst effects. Industrialized nations are responsible for global warming, and they must take responsibility for fighting global warming by helping developing countries cultivate greater public health emergency preparedness.