A recent World Bank report sounds the alarm on Pakistan’s rapidly depleting natural capital, valued at a staggering $474 billion, which represents 13.6% of the nation’s total wealth.
Titled “Targeting national restoration actions for ecosystem services,” the working paper identifies several factors contributing to Pakistan’s environmental crisis: population surge, urbanization, and dependence on fossil fuels. These issues have resulted in overexploited natural resources, worsening air and water pollution, dwindling energy reserves, and rampant deforestation.
Pakistan’s diverse geography further exposes it to a multitude of natural disasters, including earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, droughts, cyclones, and hurricanes, as highlighted by the World Bank.
The report emphasizes Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters, ranking it among the top 10 most affected countries globally. The 2021 ND-GAIN Index places Pakistan at a concerning 150th position.
The Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) by Pakistan itself warns of a potential 18-20% GDP decline by 2050 due to climate change, environmental degradation, and air pollution. This intersection of poverty and environmental challenges poses a severe threat to Pakistan’s predominantly rural and impoverished population.
The World Bank report recommends interventions like climate-smart agriculture, ecosystem restoration, and land-use planning reforms to address these issues and build climate resilience.
A collaborative effort between the World Bank and the Pakistani government led to the development of a comprehensive restoration plan with the Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Landscape Assessment (BELA) team. This plan is based on BELA’s technical report on Integrated Landscape Management for Ecosystem Services in Pakistan and forms the foundation for the World Bank’s proposed Ecosystems Restoration Strategy.
The strategy utilizes spatial modeling to identify priority areas for intervention and advocates for community-driven delivery models. It aims to target communal lands beyond provincial boundaries to promote resilient development.
BELA’s analysis reveals that over 11 million hectares of critical ecosystems in Pakistan are currently in a degraded state, with projections indicating further deterioration without timely action. The report warns of intensified risks under a “business as usual” scenario, particularly in vulnerable regions like the Indus River valley and hill torrent watersheds.
Despite the challenges, there’s a potential upside – increased carbon storage leading to a significant decrease in Pakistan’s net greenhouse gas emissions.
The report concludes with a call for urgent investment in restoration efforts to safeguard natural capital, nurture resilient ecosystems, generate sustainable employment opportunities, and ultimately drive economic growth in Pakistan.