Effects of Climate Change on the Agriculture of Pakistan
- Severe Impact on Agriculture: Climate change, exacerbated by human activities, is causing extreme weather events that threaten agricultural productivity and food security in Pakistan, despite its minimal contribution to global environmental degradation.
- Adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA): Implementing CSA techniques such as agroforestry, efficient irrigation, and precision farming can enhance sustainability and improve crop yields, mitigating climate change's impact on agriculture.
- Urgent Need for Land Expansion and Policy Support: To meet food demands, Pakistan must increase cultivated land by 30%, requiring strategic land use plans, financial support for farmers, and policies to combat food insecurity amid rapid population growth.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC-1992) defines climate change as “changes in the physical environment attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alter the composition of the global atmosphere.” Highlighting the grave impact of climate change on health, livelihoods, and the future, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned in its 2018 report that “climate change could be irreversible by 2030,” urging immediate action to prevent the catastrophic effects of global warming.
The emission of greenhouse gases (GHG), identified as early as 1857, remains a major cause of ozone layer depletion, leading to the continuous rise in Earth’s temperature. Additional factors such as deforestation, chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) emissions, poor industrial waste management, unchecked industrialization, fossil fuel use, unplanned urbanization, and pollution have exacerbated environmental degradation.
Climate change is a stark reality that not only endangers health, lifestyles, and the future but also significantly impacts agriculture. Pakistan, despite being one of the least contributors to climate degradation, ranks among the most severely affected nations globally. Extreme weather events such as droughts, torrential rains, cyclones, and glacier melting pose significant challenges, especially to the agricultural sector, thereby hindering progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Environmental experts emphasize that human-induced activities are triggering extreme weather phenomena, including torrential rains, cloudbursts, cyclones, droughts, and glacier melting, with increasing frequency and devastation. According to the UN’s Global Climate Risk Index (2021), Pakistan contributes minimally to environmental degradation yet is the fifth most affected country worldwide. Agriculture, the backbone of Pakistan’s economy and food security, ranks as the 12th most impacted globally, with declining crop yields threatening food security.
A detailed analysis of declining agricultural productivity highlights several factors, including irregular water availability due to floods or droughts, primitive farming methods, and insufficient land under cultivation. These challenges can be mitigated by constructing additional water reservoirs, adopting efficient irrigation techniques, and promoting drought-resistant crops.
Moreover, implementing Climate Smart Agricultural (CSA) practices can enhance sustainability and productivity. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) describes CSA as “an approach that helps guide actions to transform agri-food systems toward green and climate-resilient practices.” Key CSA techniques include:
- Integrating trees and shrubs into agricultural landscapes through agroforestry.
- Minimizing soil disturbance and conserving soil structure, moisture, and nutrients.
- Planting diverse crops and covering crops during non-growing seasons to prevent soil erosion.
- Managing pests and diseases using biological, cultural, and chemical methods.
- Optimizing interactions among plants, animals, humans, and the environment.
- Strategically planting trees or shrubs to shield crops from strong winds.
- Utilizing precision farming tools such as GPS-guided machinery and sensors for efficient farm management.
Precision agriculture, as defined by the National Academies Press, is a “management strategy that uses advanced technologies and tools to gather, process, and analyze information to improve farm operations and productivity.”
Currently, only 25% of Pakistan’s total land area (30 million hectares) is under cultivation, harvested multiple times annually. To address the growing food demand, Pakistan needs to incrementally increase cultivated land to 30%, requiring an additional six million hectares. This calls for appropriate policies, including comprehensive land use plans prioritizing agriculture, alongside financial incentives, subsidies, and technical support for farmers.
The 2023 digital census reveals Pakistan’s population has surged to 241 million from approximately 167 million in 2003, reflecting a staggering 69% growth. This rapid population increase exacerbates the gap between food demand and supply, leading to hyperinflation, compromised food security, and declining per capita income.
Declining crop yields coupled with rapid population growth intensify food insecurity. A multifaceted strategy is essential to address these challenges, encompassing the adoption of CSA techniques, expanding cultivated land, and formulating land use plans. Providing education, technical assistance, and incentives to farmers can further encourage sustainable practices. The urgency of the situation demands immediate action.
The author is an International Relations graduate based in Hyderabad.
