The World Bank Group’s Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) says Pakistan GDP will decline 15 to 20% by 2050 (AryNews, 2022). Heatwave in Summers, floods causes 1700 people dead. This is just the beginning of a threatful future. Planet Earth is degrading faster than we ever imagined. Soon it will convert into in-habitable for humans, if it is not protected. It needs urgent prevention but no significant contribution is observed from underdeveloped countries. Climate change depends upon These five main groups; 1) tropical 2) Dry 3) Temperate 4) Continental 5) polar

COP26 (UN Climate Change Conference 2021) identified fossil fuel is the main cause of carbon emission. In 2009, Richer countries agreed to provide $100bn per year to poor countries to help carbon reduction and emissions by 2023. But this is overshadowed by other world events like the Russia-Ukraine war, food shortage, floods, COVID-19. COP27 (UN Climate Change Conference 2022) agreed to move on from negotiations to implementations and strategy execution. 

Threat to South Asian and African countries:

South Asian and African countries are at highest risk of climate change. Egypt is the largest fossil gas producer in Africa. We must unite against fossil gas, as it is creating significant damage to the environment. Not only Glaciers will melt by climate change but it will increase  food insecurity, water insecurity, regional insecurity and migrations. It is a domino effect and it will ultimately become our National Political Issue. Global temperature rise would be a disaster. Pakistan is in the list of most affected countries. Pakistan is a low middle income and agricultural country. Agriculture depends on soil, water, sunlight and air. Change in availability to crops will make big differences. These things are being affected by climate change. Danger is rising to lose many crops and mass level production in Pakistan. Heatwaves and floods in Pakistan, destroyed all the crops cultivation for domestic and export needs. The Pakistani nation is at highest risk of premature deaths and highest threats to health related issues due to lack of awareness in the environment. 

Lowest Air Quality Index, High Carbon Emission and Pakistan:

The 25 megacities with the lowest Air Quality Index are 18 cities of India, 5 cities of Pakistan and 2 cities of China (IQAir, 2021). It doesn’t mean that they produce all the pollution for the entire world. It only means that they are located in those areas which are most affected by Natural Air Cycle.

Pakistan is most affected by these three gasses; Nitrogen Oxides, Sulphur dioxide and Carbon monoxide (Anjum et al., 2021). Nitrogen Oxides(NOx) emission is due to transportation and industrial sectors and Sulphur dioxide (SO2), Carbon monoxide (CO) emissions are due to residential, thermal power, industrial etc. These dangerous gasses cause serious health issues.  Lack of continuous monitoring and lack of awareness is the main cause of this air pollution. Empowering Research & Development, Alignment of thinking tanks with manufacturing units, implementation of strategies and policies and timely feedback are the effective measures.

Earth is warming up due to excess carbon dioxide. Environmental change (land pollution, water pollution, air pollution, plastic pollution) is the cause of Climate change. Poor countries are least responsible for emission but most affected by greenhouse gasses. Public private collective actions are needed to protect natural capital, biodiversity, and ecosystems.

World Bank Group Strategies and Clean Energy Options: 

World Bank Group issued their action plan report having mainly focusing on three strategies; this is the model for World Bank Group Action Plan Strategies for climate change. 

The World Bank Group (2021-2025) encourages stop using coal as an energy source to reduce carbon levels. It not only discusses diagnoses but also provides strategies and financial solutions through private public alignment in listed countries. It is ambitious to make significant reduction in carbon levels and greenhouse gasses in the coming years..

Wang et al., (2021) propose the model to fulfil energy needs through Solar energy, wind energy, ocean energy, hydro powered energy, nuclear energy, Bio energy, Geothermal energy and stored energy. These methods are claimed to be the safest solutions of energy to protect the environment from dangerous gasses like methane (CH4), Nitrogen Oxides(NOx), Sulphur dioxide (SO2), Carbon monoxide (CO). Neutralization of carbon is not an easy process, it need global efforts and satellite observations. Our efforts to adopt clean energy will help the lesser dependence on fossil fuels. Understanding the current needs, this is time to utilize technology for renewable energy. Wang et al., (2021) also proposed a model to initialize the entire process.

Carbon levels of 800,000years were almost the same. Now it has changed from 0.03% to 0.04% carbon dioxide gas. According to the environmental point of view this 0.01% change makes bi differences and can cause great loss in ecosystems. Carbon Neutralizing efforts and to cover gaps through bridging and restructuring global development efforts to protect the potential nature for human survival.

Solution to Damages for Neutralizing Ecosystem

Environmental change is the main cause of climate change. Rise of skin allergies and asthma diseases are due to deforestation (D’Amato et al., 2017). Collective action must be implemented to save planet earth. 

Industry: 

There is a need to use Improve Materials. Plastic, metals, and cement are wide-ranging materials. Replacing better with lower emission alternatives is the only option to protect planet earth. Waste can be recuperated as a resource. Paying something of value rather than discard and reducing usage of raw materials and energy help reduce emissions of dangerous gasses. Refrigerants are an important problem to be addressed. Chemicals used in refrigeration are powerful greenhouse gasses; their leakage is one of the biggest threats to the environment. Replacing them with better alternatives can protect our environment. Enhancing Energy Efficiency in Industrial processes can also reduce harmful emissions. They need to shift from low to no-carbon energy sources.

Uninterrupted Electricity and Environment: 

With the rise of population industries need more electricity to fulfil the population needs and to Enhance Efficiency. Electricity efficiency needs solutions through introducing  technologies and practices to reduce demand form electricity generation. Damage of Electricity used in domestic and industry cannot be roughly estimated. More power generation with no efficiency measures adoption took the economies away from basic health standards. 

Electricity production must be shifted from fossil fuels, as fossil fuels is great potential to damage ecosystems. Efficient energy solutions are needed to be adopted. It might be very hard to shift from small-scale distribution to large-scale centralization. Solar energy, wind energy, ocean energy, hydro powered energy, nuclear energy, Bio energy, Geothermal energy, energy shortage are the safest options of clean electricity, as Electricity and heat production processes contribute 3/4th of the energy related greenhouse gas emissions in the environment.

Agriculture, Food and Usage of Land

Latest research studies says agriculture, food and land usage contribute 24% of greenhouse gas emissions. So agricultural activities are 1/4th of total greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. This is time to address Food Waste problems. Food shortage is going to become a bigger problem than climate. Strong combinations of significant pollutants are fertilizers, experiments and land clearing processes produce greenhouse gas emissions. Protection of Ecosystems, efficient food production and stopping activities that are responsible for rise in carbon-level is significant in environment protection.

Shift of practices through research and development can make significant change. Methane generated rice growing and raising ruminants need substitutes in processes. Nitrous oxide and overusing fertilizers and carbon dioxide by disturbing soils processes must be changed. Unfortunately, being an underdeveloped country Pakistan is very backwards in agricultural R&D. COP27 is ambitious to provide agricultural solutions for the agri-rich countries. 

Coastal wetland protection of Gwadar and Karachi,  sea floor protection, improved fisheries, efficient agriculture and farming, forest protection, grassland protection, cattle nourishing, rice production improvement & nutrient management, plant rich diet, reducing food waste and must be considered on an urgent basis.

Health and Education:

Climate and social systems are intensely connected. These connections are gateways to beginning of solutions. Rights-based initiatives, voluntary family planning and environmental primary and secondary education can be considered as simple initiatives with great results. Although,  education and Family planning are not direct solutions to climate change. But they can be considered as indirect solutions, as low growth in population, planning and education can contribute to significant reduction in damages. World need sustainable infrastructure rather than over-populated cities. Dropping land fertility will cause food shortage by 2050. So education at every initial level may become the best tool for social and economic survival.

Transportation and Building:

Fossil-fuel in transportation has caused great damage and greenhouse gas emission. This is the time to find better alternative modes. Government must pay attention to stabilize public transport fasciitis for daily mobility. Intercity and Intracity electric trains, availability of enough seats and introduction of little advanced communication can make significant protection for the climate. In road transport only Enhance Energy Efficient vehicles must be allowed. Shift from fossil-fuelled vehicles to Electric vehicles is imperative for ecosystem protections.

Like transportation energy shifts, there is a need to use clean energy for residential areas as well. By using clean energy, dangerous greenhouse gasses like methane (CH4), Nitrogen Oxides(NOx), Sulphur dioxide (SO2) and Carbon monoxide (CO) can be reduced from the environment. This shift from fossil fuel to Solar energy, wind energy, ocean energy, hydro powered energy, nuclear energy, Bio energy, Geothermal energy and stored energy will make significant difference.  Although these are time-taking processes, it can contribute significantly in damage-reduction and survival games.

References

Anjum, M. S., Ali, S. M., Imad-ud-din, M., Subhani, M. A., Anwar, M. A., Nizami, A. S., Ashraf, U., & Khokhar, M. F. (2021). Ever-Increasing Particulate Matter in Pakistan; A Critical Review. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123943

AryNews. (2022, Nov 10). PAKISTAN’S GDP TO TAKE 20% HIT UNTIL 2050 DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE – WB REPORT. Retrieved Nov, 2022, from https://arynews.tv/pakistans-gdp-to-take-18-20-hit-due-to-climate-change-until-2050/

D’Amato, G., Vitale, C., Rosario, N., Neto, H., Chong-Silva, D., Mendonça, F., Perini, J., Landgraf, L., Solé, D., Sánchez-Borges, M., Ansotegui, I., & D’Amato, M. (2017). Climate change, allergy and asthma, and the role of tropical forests. World Allergy Organization Journal, 10(1), 1939-4551. 10.1186/s40413-017-0142-7

IQAir. (2021). World’s most polluted cities (historical data 2017-2021). Retrieved Nov, 2022, from https://www.iqair.com/world-most-polluted-cities

Wang, F., Harindintwali, J. D., Yuan, Z., Wang, M., Wang, F., Li, S., Yin, Z., Huang, L., Fu, Y., Li, L., Chang, S. X., Zhang, L., Rinklebe, J., Yuan, Z., Zhu, Q., Xiang, L., Tsang, D. C., Xu, L., Xin, J., … Chen, J. M. (2021). Technologies and perspectives for achieving carbon neutrality. The Innovation, 2(4), 2666-6758. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100180