Climate Change: A Non-Traditional Security Threat to Pakistan

Abstract

This study explores the impact of climate change-induced challenges on the national security of Pakistan. Specifically, it argues that climate change is a potent non-traditional security threat for Pakistan that is already facing myriad security challenges. The study seeks to explain why in spite of being low emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG), Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. The chief indicator of climate change is rising temperature which causes melting of glaciers and increase of evaporation affecting all living organisms and non-living things. The planet Earth faces menace of global warming as a result of climate change but poor nations are more susceptible to adverse effects because they have less resilience and coping capacity as compared to developed countries. A very large number of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations are engaged in carrying out research, dissemination of knowledge and suggesting measures to address daunting challenge of climate change the humanity is currently faced with. This research is based on mixed methods strategy i.e. qualitative and quantitative research approaches have been combined for data collection and analysis. Barry Buzan’s sectoral approach to security and securitization theory has been deployed for analysis. The analysis of security discourses in Pakistan for the period from 2008 to 2017 suggests securitization of climate change. However, the process of securitization remains incomplete because the audience has not fully accepted the ‘securitization move’ and extraordinary measures have not been taken for adaptation and mitigation of the challenges related to climate change. The research highlights that being a developing country, caught up in the whirlwind of multiple security challenges; Pakistan lacks coping capacity for a befitting response to climate change. It proposes that the country’s resilience to challenges of climate change can be improved by synergising efforts at domestic level and through global cooperation. This research contends that the challenges arising in view of climate change should be treated as ‘high politics’ instead of routine treatment of ‘low politics’. National security policy makers and state institutions need to launch national action plan to address existential challenges climate change has posed to Pakistan. The research also suggests that assigning high priority to climate change should be manifested in implementation of policies and initiation of workable projects for mitigation and adaptation to climate change.