Urgent Global Action Needed To Protect Pakistan From Devastating Heatwaves — Amnesty International

Amnesty International, has issued a compelling plea for immediate global action to safeguard Pakistan from the increasingly severe heatwaves that have put the South Asian nation on the frontlines of the climate crisis.

On Monday and in their report titled "A Burning Emergency: Extreme Heat and the Right to Health in Pakistan," released to coincide with World Environment Day, Amnesty International highlights the vulnerability of Pakistanis to heatwaves and emphasizes the urgent need for measures to protect them from the escalating temperatures.

Amnesty International's report sheds light on the glaring climate injustice faced by Pakistan, with its population of 230 million bearing the brunt of the severe consequences despite the country's minimal contribution to global climate change.

Citing the Global Climate Risk Index published by Germanwatch, the report underscores Pakistan's position among the ten most affected countries by climate change-related disasters in the past two decades, despite accounting for less than 1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The report highlights the catastrophic floods of 2022, which claimed the lives of over 1,800 people and affected 33 million others, submerging almost one-third of Pakistan.

These devastating floods, attributed to climate change-induced record rainfall and glacial melting, exemplify the dire situation faced by Pakistan and the urgent need for immediate action.