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ISLAMABAD - Adverse effects of climate change are likely to reduce livestock production by 20 to 30 percent in the coming years due to rising temperatures, leading to crises in meat, milk and poultry supplies – pushing prices beyond reach of the average Pakistani.

“Currently, Pakistan ranks seventh in the 10 countries that are most affected by climate change globally”, said Deputy Director Media of Ministry of Climate Change Mohammad Saleem.

He said the negative effects of climate change continue to undermine socio-economic development in all of the countries and reverse the gains made over decades, pushing people back to poverty, hunger and disease. He said that the climate challenges pose grave risk to the government’s efforts aimed at reducing poverty, enhancing food security, improving health care and improving access to energy.

Despite the weak financial and economic conditions, Pakistan is spending eight percent of its annual budget to cope with climate change-induced disasters, the minister added.

Highlighting Pakistan’s climate vulnerability, the climate change minister said that although Pakistan’s contribution to global warming is minimal, we face a huge impact of the changes in global climate.

He said several scientific studies have already categorized Pakistan as extremely vulnerable, saying, “Recurrent floods, heat waves, cyclones, drought, desertification, glacial-melt and sea level rise are some of our biggest challenges.”

He said that given the climate risks, adaptation and climate-resilient development remain top of the list of the country’s essential development priorities. In this context, steps have been taken both at national and sub-national levels.

“To achieve the climate-resilient development goals, the country has adopted an over-arching approach on disaster risk reduction and management and structured policies and institutional arrangements for disasters, mitigation, rescue and relief, recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction,” he said.