Pakistan's Climate Migrants Beyond Mediatized Fictions

Abstract

A consensus is emerging among the scholars and researchers on the nexus between climate changes and contemporary human migrations. In fact, certain recent studies have painted an alarming situation vis-a-vis migratory trends triggered by catastrophic climate changes across the globe. Understandably, such thickly populated but resource-poor countries as Pakistan constitute urgent attention on many levels owing to their vulnerabilities in the face of fast-changing climate. An urgency is required in the case of Pakistan also because an explosive situation ridden with ethnic tensions already exists owing to previous waves of migrations. Hence, with Pakistan as the focus, this chapter examines Pakistan’s burgeoning environmental challenge in order to foreground the link between climate change and patterns of human migration. Empirical evidence suggests an alarming situation whereby, on the one hand, the country ranks atop the global Climate Risk indices, on the other, climate changes and recurring natural catastrophe are displacing millions in the country. Meantime, the state in Pakistan is ill-prepared to deal with either the climate change or climate-induced migration. This lack of preparation owes to Pakistan’s poor economic resources and ill financial health as well as an opportunistic politicization of the climate change by blaming India for ideological purposes. Though some policy measures and concrete actions in the past two decades have been initiated – offering some reason for optimism – yet an overall balance sheet is unconvincing to say the least. That Pakistan’s chequered history is marred by bloody ethnic conflicts, this chapter also demonstrates that the climate-related migration, if not taken into account presently, will throw new socio-political challenges that will further destabilise Pakistan.