The Climate Cost of Indifference : Pakistan’s Battle against Policy Failures and Global Neglect

Khan, Nadir Ahmed

The Climate Cost of Indifference : Pakistan’s Battle against Policy Failures and Global Neglect

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10456/59254

Author(s)

Khan, Nadir Ahmed

Date Issued

April 1, 2025

Abstract

Pakistan is living through the climate crisis in real time. From floods that erase entire communities to heat waves that make cities unlivable, the country has become a symbol of climate injustice—suffering some of the world’s most devastating environmental impacts despite contributing almost nothing to the problem. This thesis asks a hard question: what happens when a country already facing political instability and economic fragility is also left alone to face a crisis it didn’t create? Through an in-depth analysis of Pakistan’s climate policies, like the National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), this research reveals a landscape of ambition on paper, but inertia in practice. Corruption, poor governance and top-down planning have blocked real progress, while vulnerable communities, especially women, minorities and rural populations, are excluded from the decisions that affect them most. At the global level, the story is just as bleak. Wealthy nations have made lofty promises about climate finance, but what Pakistan receives is tangled in red tape, buried in loans, and far too little, far too late. As climate migration increases and entire regions become uninhabitable, the lack of timely international support raises serious questions about global accountability and justice. This thesis doesn’t just highlight what’s broken, it proposes how to fix it. From realistic renewable energy pathways to community-driven adaptation and climate finance reform, the recommendations point toward a model of resilience built on transparency, inclusion, and long-term vision. Climate change isn’t just a science problem or a policy problem, it’s a justice problem. Pakistan stands at the intersection of all three

Major

Environmental Science and Sustainability

First Reader(s)

Bensel, Terrence G.