CLIMATE CHANGE ADVERSARIES AND GOVERNANCE: A CASE OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one of the federating units of Pakistan and lying to the northwest of Pakistan, is very prone to the adverse effects of climate change. The adverse forms of climate change overpower the province in the shape of floods, cloudbursts, droughts, heat-waves, landslides, earthquakes and the pandemics. These natural calamities lead to loss of precious human lives, displacement of people, destruction of the infrastructure, irreparable loss to the standing crops, livestock, and destruction of buildings. Keeping in view the nature of these climate changes and gravity of situations, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had to establish ‘Climate Change Department’ for coping with such issues. The department devises institutional frameworks, policies, strategies and action plans to address the crises in the best possible way. This article analyzes the climate change adversaries and governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The study finds that climate change governance is not as effective as it should have been keeping in view the gravity of the situation. Climate change governance faces some key challenges that need to be addressed properly for an effective and target-oriented response to climate change in the province.