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Climate change may reduce Pakistan’s GDP by 20 percent in future – World Bank

A man is walking in front of the World Bank Building in Washington DC on September 25, 2020. (Photo courtesy: AFP/File)
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Updated 10 November 2022
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Climate change may reduce Pakistan’s GDP by 20 percent in future – World Bank

  • A report released by the bank says Pakistan needs investments in climate resilience to secure economy, reduce poverty
  • The document recommends reforms to expand domestic revenue mobilization, calls for international financial assistance
Updated 10 November 2022
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s development ambitions and ability to reduce poverty could face significant setbacks due to environmental disasters, said a World Bank report on Thursday, bringing down its economic output by about 20 percent in the next few decades.

The unprecedented monsoon rains and floods in Pakistan this year caused more than 1,700 deaths and displaced millions of people.

The World Bank Group’s Country Climate and Development Report noted the destructive effects of the erratic weather condition on infrastructure, assets, crops and livestock in the country had been massive, causing more than $30 billion in damages and economic losses.

“The combined risks of extreme climate-related events, environmental degradation, and air pollution are projected to reduce Pakistan’s GDP by at least 18 to 20 percent by 2050,” the report warned. “This will stall progress on economic development and poverty reduction.”

The document maintained the country needed fundamental shifts in its development path and policies, requiring substantial investments including international support, to foster people-centric climate adaptation and resilience.

It identified five priority transitions to adapt to climate change: transform the agri-food system; build resilient and livable cities; accelerate a just transition to sustainable energy and low-carbon transport; strengthen human capital to achieve sustained and equitable development and climate resilience; and align financing policies, incentives, and institutions to support the scale-up of climate actions.

The report recommended accelerating reforms to expand domestic revenue mobilization, including by raising new municipal and property taxes to finance urban investments.

However, it pointed out that even ambitious increases in fiscal resources over the coming years would not be enough for Pakistan to finance all the needed investments, adding that significant international support and private investment would be essential to meet the challenge.

“The recent flooding and humanitarian crisis provide a wake-up call for urgent action to prevent further devastation to the people of Pakistan and its economy due to climate change,” said Martin Raiser, World Bank Vice President for South Asia, while releasing the report. “Accelerated climate actions can protect the economy from shocks and secure more sustainable and inclusive growth in Pakistan.”

Another official belonging to the World Bank Group noted that climate-related calamities were “growing in frequency and intensity” in Pakistan.

“With the right policy frameworks, Pakistan has the opportunity to attract private investment to build its resilience, particularly in sectors such as water management, agriculture, urban infrastructure, municipal services, and housing,” Hela Cheikhrouhou, International Finance Corporation’s Regional Vice President for Middle East and Pakistan, added.

Pakistan is not a significant contributor to global warming, though it is recognized as one of the most climate-stressed countries by global experts.

Topics: World Bank Pakistan Floods 2022 Pakistan Floods climate change

Pakistan says over 44.3 million children vaccinated as year’s first anti-polio drive concludes

Updated 4 sec ago
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Pakistan says over 44.3 million children vaccinated as year’s first anti-polio drive concludes

  • Pakistan launched this year’s first week-long anti-polio nationwide campaign on Feb. 2, targeting over 45 million children
  • Pakistan’s attempts to eliminate polio have been hindered in past by militant attacks targeting polio workers, security teams 
Updated 4 sec ago
NAIMAT KHAN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani health authorities have vaccinated over 44.3 million children during the week-long anti-polio nationwide campaign, the first of this year which concluded last week, the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) said on Monday. 

Pakistan launched the first anti-polio nationwide campaign on Feb. 2 to target over 45 million children. Over 400,000 trained polio workers took part in the door-to-door campaign to vaccinate children under the age of five against the disease, the government said. 

“More than 44.3 million children were administered polio vaccine drops during the campaign,” the NEOC said in a statement. 

The anti-polio campaign, which concluded on Sunday, saw over 22.9 million vaccinated in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province. In Sindh, over 10.5 million children were vaccinated, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) 7.13 million, in Balochistan 2.36 million, in Islamabad over 455,000, in Gilgit-Baltistan over 261,000 and in Azad Kashmir over 673,000 in seven days, data shared by the NEOC said. 

The center said that the campaign was conducted in Pakistan and Afghanistan simultaneously, the only two countries were the disease remains endemic. 

Last year, Pakistan reported 31 polio cases, a significant drop from the alarming 74 cases reported in the country in 2024. The South Asian nation reported six cases in 2023 and only one in 2021, but saw a sharp resurgence in 2024.

Pakistan’s polio program began in 1994, but efforts to eradicate the virus have been repeatedly undermined by vaccine misinformation and resistance from some religious hard-liners who claim that immunization is a foreign plot to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western espionage.

Militant groups have also frequently targeted polio vaccination teams and the security personnel assigned to protect them, often resulting in deadly attacks, particularly in KP and Balochistan.

“Polio workers and security personnel who performed duties during the campaign are the nation’s true heroes,” the NEOC said. 

Topics: Pakistan Polio

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