Impacts of Climate Change on Human Security in Pakistan

Abstract

Human security has emerged as a non-traditional security threat (NTS). Developing countries like Pakistan are confronting this issue.  According to the UN, human security is a concept that enables nations to address issues that undermine human life, sources of income, and the dignity of populations, regardless of the realist perspective of state and military power. One of the most critical (NTS) threats is climate change, which is manifested through ongoing temperature increases and irregular patterns of rainfall, as well as existing environmental issues like droughts, floods, glacier melting, and worsening environmental pollution. This research examines the relationships between climate change and human security in Pakistan from 2018 to 2022. This study reveals that climate-induced phenomena have significantly undermined the various dimensions of human security, e.g., economic security, food and water accessibility, public health, and community stability. For example, smog, a product of environmental pollution, appears in the form of thick, hazy air in several cities like Lahore (Pakistan), causing high respiratory ailments, reduced economic productivity, intermittent lockdowns, and the suspension of educational and business activities. Therefore, this study examines the combined effects of climate change that heighten the risks of marginalisation and pose a challenge to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 13). In this research, an attempt is made to advocate for the implementation of comprehensive strategies to address the impacts of climate change, as well as the development of policies based on factual evidence during the period of 2018-2022.