Skip to main content
View expanded cover

Balanced Urban Development: Options and Strategies for Liveable Cities pp 409–428Cite as

Awareness of Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation at Local Level in Punjab, Pakistan

  • Chapter

Part of the Water Science and Technology Library book series (WSTL,volume 72)

Abstract

Climate change awareness is an imperative to achieve sustainability in developing countries. Lack of awareness is a significant barrier to climate change adaptation in developing countries. Raising climate change awareness at the local level is critical for Pakistan as climate change impacts are exacerbating the number and extent of disasters in this disaster-prone country. Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change impacts is very high (ranked 12th in the world). This research assesses the awareness of climate change impacts among the local planning officials in Punjab, Pakistan. The research contextualises its findings in the context of Pakistan’s resilience to deal with the adverse impacts of climate change given its unique and unusual set of socio-political circumstances. The findings of this chapter are based on a detailed survey conducted with local planning officials of Lahore, Pakistan. The survey explores the level of awareness of climate change, its causes and impacts in Pakistan. The survey and subsequent analysis in particular focuses on the potential role of use of Geographical Information System (GIS) in raising climate change awareness.

Keywords

  • Climate change awareness
  • Impacts and adaptation
  • Geographical information system

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Fig. 25.1
Fig. 25.2
Fig. 25.3
Fig. 25.4

References

  • Abbas Z (2009) Climate change, poverty and environmental crisis in the disaster prone areas of Pakistan. Oxfam GB Pakistan Programme, Islamabad

    Google Scholar 

  • Adeel Z, Piracha A (2004) Critical links between environment and development in South Asia. In: Thakur R, Wiggen O (eds) South Asia in the world: problem solving perspectives on security, sustainable development, and good governance. United Nations University Press, Tokyo, pp 205–224

    Google Scholar 

  • Amir P (2009) Climate change water vulnerabilities in Pakistan. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Department for International Development (DFID), Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Environment. http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/pk_cc_water_vul.pdf. Accessed 12 Nov 2011

  • Anderegg WRL, Prall JW, Harold J, Schneider SH (2010) Expert credibility in climate change. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107(27):12107–12109

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • ARY News (2011) Idraak 25th June 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X85R_JyvMks&feature=related. Accessed 12 Nov 2011

  • Cohen SP (2011) The future of Pakistan. Brookings Institution Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Ekpenyong E (2009) Environmental awareness as a panacea for sustainable environmental management in Africa. International Association for Impact Assessment, viewed 20th February, 2010. http://www.iaia.org/iaia09ghana/documents/cs/CS5-2_Ekpenyong_Environmental_Awareness_as_a_Panacea.pdf

  • Fair CC, Crane K, Chivvis CS (2010) Pakistan: can the United States secure an insecure state? RAND Corporation, Santa Monica

    Google Scholar 

  • Fransson N, Garling T (1999) Environmental concern: conceptual definitions, measurement methods, and research findings. J Environ Psychol 19(4):369–382

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • HAARP (High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program) (2011) Program purpose. http://www.haarp.alaska.edu/haarp/gen.html. Accessed 18 Jan 2012

  • GOP (Government of Pakistan) (1998) City District Lahore at a glance. Population Census Organisation. http://www.census.gov.pk/PUNJAB/LAHORE.html. Accessed 5 Nov 2011

  • GOP (Government of Pakistan) (2010–2011) Pakistan economic survey 2010–11, Economic Adviser’s Wing, Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad

    Google Scholar 

  • GOP (Government of Pakistan) (2011–2012) Budget in brief 2011–12 Ministry of Finance. Government of Pakistan, Islamabad

    Google Scholar 

  • Haider N (2006) Living with disasters: disaster profiling of districts of Pakistan. National Disaster Management Authority Islamabad, Pakistan, p 65

    Google Scholar 

  • Index Mundi (2011) Country comparison: literacy. http://www.indexmundi.com/g/r.aspx?c=iz&v=39. Accessed 21 Jan 2012

  • IPCC (2007) Climate change 2007: impacts, adaptation and vulnerability, contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) (2009a) Climate change an economic threat, say experts. http://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/asia/asia_where_work/pakistan/?2541/Climate-change-an-economic-threat-say-experts. Accessed 23 Aug 2009

  • IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) (2009b) Government of Pakistan’s agriculture and water policies with respect to climate change: policy gap analysis, IUCN Pakistan, Department for International Development (DFID) and Government of Pakistan

    Google Scholar 

  • Jilani R, Haq M, Naseer A (2007) A study of Glaciers in Northern Pakistan. In: The first joint PI symposium of ALOS data nodes for ALOS science program in Kyoto Secretariat, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAEA), Kyoto International Conference Centre, Main Hall, 19–23 November, 2007

    Google Scholar 

  • Khan JA (2011) Climate change patterns and their impacts with special focus on Pakistan. Paper presented to symposium on ‘Changing environmental pattern and its impact with special focus on Pakistan’, Pakistan Engineering Congress (PEC), paper no. 285, Pakistan

    Google Scholar 

  • Lasco RD, Rangasa M, Pulhin FB, Delfino RJ (2008) The role of local government units in mainstreaming climate change adaptation in Philippines. Centre for Initiatives and Research on Climate Adaptation (CIRCA). http://www.albaycirca.org/THE%20ROLE%20OF%20LOCAL%20GOVERNMENT%20UNITS.pdf. Accessed 19 Nov 2011

  • Lata S, Nunn P (2012) Misperceptions of climate-change risk as barriers to climate-change adaptation: a case study from the Rewa Delta, Fiji. Clim Chang 110(1):169–186

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Lieven A (2011) Pakistan a hard country, 1st edn. Perseus Book LLC, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • PLGO (Punjab Local Government Ordinance) (2001) Punjab Local Government Ordinance, 2001, (ORDINANCE No.XIII OF 2001), Compiled by Ops Wing, NRB (National Reconstruction Bureau), May, 2006

    Google Scholar 

  • Mainieri T, Barnett EG, Valdero TR, Unipan JB, Oskamp S (1997) Green buying: the influence of environmental concern on consumer behavior. J Soc Psychol 137(2):189–204

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Majeed Z, Piracha A (2011) Water conservation of Pakistan’s agricultural, municipal and industrial water. Int J Water Res Arid Environ 1(3):232–238

    Google Scholar 

  • Mertz O, Halsnaes K, Olesen J, Rasmussen K (2009) Adaptation to climate change in developing countries. Environ Manag 43(5):743–752

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Mirza N (2011) The Japanese earthquake and tsunami – natural or artificial? Daily Jang March 23, 2011

    Google Scholar 

  • Mirza MMQ, Ahmad QK (2005) Climate change and water resources in South Asia: an introduction. In: Mirza MMQ, Ahmad QK (eds) Climate change and water resources in South Asia. Taylor and Francis Group, London

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Nunn PD (2009) Responding to the challenges of climate change in the Pacific Islands: management and technological imperatives. Clim Res 40(2–3):211–231

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Oxley M (2010) Pakistan floods: Preventing future catastrophic flood disasters’. In: Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction. Viewed 2nd January, 2011, http://duryognivaran.org/documents/Pakistan_Floods-Marcus%20Oxley.pdf

  • Pakalert (2010) Pakistan flood: HAARP used in Pakistan? – Urgent. Pakalert Press. http://www.pakalertpress.com/2010/08/06/pakistan-flood-photos-haarp-fingerprints-found-allover. Accessed 18 Sept 2011

  • Pakistan Views (2009) Pakistan’s population growth highest in region: World Bank report, 25th January 2009. Viewed 10 Oct 2009. http://www.pakistanviews.com/business/pakistan-s-population-growth-highest-in-region-world-bank-report.html

  • Parliament of Australia (2008) Climate change and global warming – what’s the difference? Commonwealth of Australia. Viewed 15th January 2012, http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/climatechange/theBasic/climate.htm

  • Piracha A (2008) Geoinformatics for guiding industrial location in Punjab Pakistan. Paper presented to 2nd international conference on advances in space technologies, Islamabad, Pakistan, 29th–30th November, 2008

    Google Scholar 

  • Polastro R, Nagrah A, Steen N, Zafar F (2011) Inter-agency real time evaluation of the humanitarian response to Pakistan’s 2010 flood crisis, Inter-agency Standing Committee (IASC), Funded by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

    Google Scholar 

  • Qi Y, Li M, Zhang H, Li H (2008) Translating a global issue into local priority: China’s local government response to climate change. J Environ Dev 17(4):379–400

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Qureshi AS (2005) Climate change and water resources management in Pakistan. In: Mirza MMQ, Ahmad QK (eds) Climate change and water resources in South Asia. Taylor and Francis Group, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Raudsepp M (2001) Some socio-demographic and socio-psychological predictors of environmentalism. TRAMES: J Humanit Soc Sci 5(4):355–367

    Google Scholar 

  • Shahid J (2009) Climate change effects to hit Pakistan hard: IPCC Chief, Daily Dawn, 14th January, 2009

    Google Scholar 

  • SMH (2010) Climate panel chief admits glacier mistake. The Sydney Morning Herald, 3 Feb 2010

    Google Scholar 

  • Sultana H, Ali N, Iqbal M, Khan A (2009) Vulnerability and adaptability of wheat production in different climatic zones of Pakistan under climate change scenarios. Clim Chang 94(1):123–142

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Tariq MAUR, Van De Giesen N (2011) Floods and flood management in Pakistan, J Phys Chem Earth, Parts A/B/C, 47–48:11–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood D (1994) Memory, love, distortion, power: what is a map? Orion Magazine, pp 24–33, viewed 18th February, 2012. http://www.deniswood.net/content/Orion.pdf. Accessed 18 Feb 2012

  • Zaidi SS-U-H (1998) Potentials and constraints of the use of GIS in City and Regional Planning. In: Conference proceedings: GIS applications to resource management and environmental planning, Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Pakistan

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan

    Zareen Shahid

  2. Geographies and Urban Studies Department, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia

    Awais Piracha

Authors
  1. Zareen Shahid
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Awais Piracha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Awais Piracha .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia

    Basant Maheshwari

  2. Institute of Technology, University of Moratuwa, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

    Bhadranie Thoradeniya

  3. Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, USA

    Vijay P. Singh

Rights and permissions

Open Access This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.5 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/) which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.

The images or other third party material in this chapter are included in the work’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if such material is not included in the work’s Creative Commons license and the respective action is not permitted by statutory regulation, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to duplicate, adapt or reproduce the material.

Reprints and Permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Shahid, Z., Piracha, A. (2016). Awareness of Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation at Local Level in Punjab, Pakistan. In: Maheshwari, B., Thoradeniya, B., Singh, V.P. (eds) Balanced Urban Development: Options and Strategies for Liveable Cities. Water Science and Technology Library, vol 72. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28112-4_25

Download citation