Photo credit: the Guardian
Pakistan’s most famous city, Karachi, could get an influx of 2.3 million climate migrants by 2025.
According to a recent report, the Good Man Project reports that only Dhaka, Bangladesh, is expected to receive more migrants. If the world fails to meet the Paris Agreement target to keep the rise in global surface temperatures under 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, roughly 8 million climate refugees globally will be forced from their homes and into the 10 cities reported in the study.
Karachi is Pakistan’s economic hub. It is attractive to climate migrants seeking employment opportunities. The city of 20 million people sits near the Arabian Sea and has an average elevation ranging from 8-20 meters, depending on the distance from the coast. This makes it a natural destination for lower-elevation climate-affected communities in the region.
In its analysis of Asia, Africa, and South America, the report predicts a 10% population increase in the next 25 years. Such an influx of migrants will challenge the city’s ability to provide drinking water, housing and basic infrastructure like roads and transportation.
In 2022, Pakistan suffered flooding that affected some 33 million people, killing more than 1,700 and displacing about 7 million. Karachi received over 50,000 climate migrants because of the floods.
The researchers recommend several ways to build resilience for all 10 cities mentioned in the report. They suggest direct funding for community resilience projects aimed at reducing emissions, inclusive policy development, and the need to collect more data to strengthen urban areas’ capacity.
Karachi-based urban planner Sana Gondal offered more specific actions that need to be taken for her city.
“There needs to be a limit on speculation to ensure that housing meets the demands of incoming residents. That’s the first priority. Next, there should be a rapid development of low-cost housing. Alongside this, a grid network is essential to ensure reliable electricity and waste supplies. Karachi’s coastal neighbourhoods are already at risk of flooding due to rising sea levels, and coastline communities may need to evacuate by 2060. The government should empower local communities, both formally and informally, with adaptation skills and resources, rather than concentrating on mega projects,” Gondal said in an interview with Mongabay.
