Climate crisis to shrink Pakistan’s GDP by 20% by 2050: World Bank

December 01, 2023 (MLN): Pakistan’s GDP is expected to decrease by a minimum of 18 to 20% by 2050 due to severe climate-related occurrences, environmental deterioration, and air contamination, the World Bank said in a special note “Climate Silence in Pakistan”.

Climate change has profoundly affected Pakistan, manifesting in altered weather patterns and devastating floods, it said.

Overall, 8 in 10 people in Pakistan are concerned about the impacts of climate change, with females and educated people being more concerned.

Climate change is more likely to be perceived as a pressing issue when presented with economic issues.

It highlighted that people with the least education are more likely to distrust all sources of climate-related information.

Moreover, parents have a high demand for climate change education for their children; however, only a fraction of them engage in discussions about it at home.

Despite the high levels of concern about climate change, support for personal and government action is low.

Strategies to motivate action on climate actions should focus on effectively encouraging behavioral change by highlighting financial savings rather than climate impact.

As with many developing nations, Pakistan is grappling with the effects of climate change, such as rising temperatures and a surge in natural calamities, including floods, it said.

However, despite substantial evidence highlighting the consequences of climate change, there needs to be a more analytical insight into the drivers of individual perceptions and behaviors in relation to climate change in Pakistan.

To bridge this gap, this policy note explored the role of socio-economic factors that shape people’s perception of climate change and the actions that influence its impact.

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