Climate Finance in Pakistan | Climate Change in Pakistan

As Cyclone Biparjoy makes landfall, let us be reminded that our waters are churning with catastrophe. Imagine the vast expanse of the Arabian Sea, its calm and serene surface reflecting the azure sky above. But beneath this tranquil facade, a profound energy begins to stir. Global warming is changing storms, and we cannot afford to overlook it anymore.

Biparjoy tells the story of a relentless power beyond our grasp. Year after year, Pakistan undergoes devastating climate impacts – from floods to heatwaves to drought. Despite contributing less than 1% to overall global greenhouse gas emissions, the country is one of the most vulnerable victims to our ever-changing climate and its adverse effects. Still, discussions on cyclones as a consequence of this phenomenon are largely neglected.

In reality, Biparjoy proves the grave urgency of our climate crisis. Of the two major basins of the northern Indian Ocean, namely the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, the latter has not historically generated a lot of cyclonic activity. But this has drastically changed over the past few decades. In fact, studies show that sea-surface level temperatures over the Arabian Sea have increased by 1.2 to 1.4 degrees C. And this figure is likely to keep increasing. Climate change, as it shows, is inextricably linked to increased cyclonic disasters.

Biparjoy is no anomaly, after all. In the last few years alone, the Arabian Sea has witnessed cyclones Vayu, Nisarga, and Tauktae already. And as the sea gets warmer, we observe an exponential rise in the number and intensity of tropical cyclones forming in the region. In fact, there has been a 52% increase in the number of total cyclones and a 150% increase in the number of very severe cyclones originating in the Arabian Sea over the past four decades. Wave after wave, the tumultuous Arabian Sea has been roaring for decades it seems. And it is we who have continued to turn a blind eye.

Changing Status of Tropical Cyclones over the Arabian Sea. – Climate Dynamics, 2021

The intensification of tropical cyclones has been attributed to a rising trend in anthropogenic black carbon and sulfate emissions, polluting and heating water bodies like the Arabian Sea. As the global temperature shifts, cyclones become more and more likely to occur in places where they are least expected, and coastal regions in India and Pakistan remain constantly under threat. As Biparjoy reaches ashore, communities in southern Sindh are expected to receive 30cm of rain and storm surges up to 3.5 meters high. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned that traditional mud and straw homes are particularly vulnerable to disintegration due to these surges.

In response to the impending cyclone, Pakistani military and civil authorities have been deployed to evacuate over 80,000 people from the southern coast to safety. Schools and other government buildings are being converted into temporary relief camps to house displaced people.