How can Geosciences & Remote Sensing Facilitate Informed and Sustainable Climate Action in Developing Countries?
Reflections from Pakistan
Maleeha Sattar, Muhammad Adnan Siddique and Irena Hajnsek
In terms of technological advancements, such as those emerging in the disciplines of geosciences & remote sensing (GRS), we seem to be in a good position to understand the causes and consequences of climate change. Primarily, it is the continued global warming, which is in turn changing the climate patterns and eventually contributing to an increase in the occurrence of extreme events [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]. Spaceborne remote sensing is helping us do regular monitoring of the several climate variables as well as in keeping a disaster watch around the world [7], [8], [9]. Technology seems to be keeping pace, but businesses and/or governments don’t seem to be adapting themselves towards best sustainable practices as quickly as the need of the hour, nor do economists feel motivated enough in emphasizing renewables sources of energy, especially in the low-income countries, such as Pakistan. Under the Remote Sensing Environment, Analysis, & Climate Technologies (REACT) TC’s umbrella, two panel discussions were organized in Pakistan, to solicit ideas from the experts and stakeholders in the country around the critical question: How can GRS facilitate informed and sustainable climate action in developing countries?
Contextual Realities and Why Pay More Attention to Developing Countries?
The revised Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water related hazards during 1970-2021, by World Meteorological Organization (WMO), reveal that extreme weather, climate and water related events have resulted in around 12000 disasters claiming roughly 3 million lives. Notably, 90% of those succumbing to these disasters are from developing countries. Besides, the colossal human loss, the associated economic losses amount to US$4.3 trillion [10]. While the contextual realities and governance structures vary among the developing countries, many share common challenges in terms of inadequate climate policy frameworks, finance, and technology. Pakistan offers a microcosm of the momentous climate challenges confronted by the developing countries. It faces a myriad of challenges including extreme weather events, water scarcity, unhealthy air quality, and food insecurity. Similar realities exist across various regions worldwide. In 2022, the extreme flooding affected 33 million people, killing 1,739 people and caused economic losses to the tune of $15.2 billion [11]. WMO reports in 2020 and 2021, some 30 developing countries experienced extreme climate events [12]. The Global Water Security Report by the UN ranks Pakistan as a critically water insecure country [13]. A reality it shares with regional countries like Afghanistan and Nepal [14]. The colossal human, economic, political cost of climate change are a lived reality for the majority of the people living in the developing countries. Therefore, there is a dire need for concerted, collaborative and informed climate action which employs a systematic approach involving multi-level actors and institutions.
Discussions for Transformative Climate Action
The panel discussions under REACT hosted experts from technology, business, policy, and governance domains in Pakistan. The first session was organized on September 23, 2023 at the Information Technology University of the Punjab (ITU), Lahore, Pakistan. The panel comprised of Dr. Sara Khawar, the Dean of a leading business school in Lahore; Mr. Amanullah Khan, Business Unit Head, Neutro Pharma, Pakistan; Prof. Dr. Momin Uppal, Director of the Center of Urban Informatics, Technology and Policy (CITY), SSE-LUMS, Lahore; Dr. Ali Nawaz, CEO Tech4Life, Pakistan; and Ms. Maleeha Sattar, Teaching Fellow & Researcher, Governance & Global Studies, ITU. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Adnan Siddique, Remote Sensing & Spatial Analytics (RSA) Lab, ITU.
Dr. Sara Khawar, as an expert of entrepreneurship, shared a few examples of how new green enterprises are being set up and climate-friendly products and services are being launched. She highlighted the need for the government to provide further incentives to green businesses. Mr. Amanullah Khan, stressed that the initiatives being taken should be scaled up and there is a need to create accountability for those enterprises polluting the environment. He shared that citizens around major industrial zones in Pakistan are being exposed to hazardous wastes resulting in the prevalence of hepatitis and infectious skin diseases. He provided insights into the ways pharmaceutical companies in the country are faring in tackling the challenges being posed by climate change. Dr. Ali Nawaz pointed out that while individual efforts are laudable, the challenges require systematic changes and collective efforts to tackle the effects of climate change. He said we need to create solar parks to make the usage of solar energy more sustainable, equitable and cost-effective. Ms. Maleeha Sattar emphasized the role of a participatory and collaborative climate governance and policymaking that prioritizes the public goods. She also stressed on the need to push for clean renewable energy in the country. The panelists also highlighted the dire need for data sharing among multiple stakeholders and developing open-source databases to ensure informed policymaking and accountability. The huge disparity in technological development between the developing countries and the developed world was also discussed. The panelists agreed that due to dearth of resources and lack of political will paltry budgets are allocated for Research & Development of technologies. As a result, technological advancements which are now the norm in the developed world are unheard of in Pakistan and other developing countries. Forums like REACT must engage in advocacy for progressively transferring these technologies and related capacities to the developing countries.
A second panel discussion took place at the Center of Urban Informatics, Technology and Policy (CITY), SSE-LUMS, Lahore. Mr. Rafay Alam joined the panel as an environmental lawyer and a member of the Pakistan Climate Change Council. He highlighted the lack of a sound policy and a strong legal framework – neither to encourage the rapid adoption of environmentally cleaner sources of energy nor to deter practices that continue to pollute and warm the environment. Dr. Khydija Wakil, who joined the panel as an Urban Planner, while seconding the opinion, stated that at present we are lacking a will to take climate action. If the government of a developing country is not going to mandate, whether in stages or in a single step, the adoption of cleaner fuels for transportation or meeting the minimum recommendation of open green spaces for an urban center, urban heat islands will not simply go away! Dr. Momin Uppal, who was moderating the discussion, shared findings of his recent projects related to urban development; he highlighted how parameters measured from spaceborne and airborne sensors can effectively measure the extent of the heat islands, and provide the data necessary for policy-making. Dr. Syed Hasan, a renowned economist, also joined the discussion and felt the need for developing a socio-economic model for an underdeveloped country like Pakistan, whereby the parameters and data from remote sensing can be plugged in to generate insights related to the socio-economic parameters, which may in turn provide the quantitative metrics necessary to determine progress towards sustainable development goals. Dr. Adnan Siddique, who has been working on remote sensing related projects in the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH), was also part of the panel. He concurred with Dr. Hasan’s point that indeed GRS can provide the key information that is relevant for such socio-economic modeling, though it will require standardization for acceptability and adoption by the stakeholders. In this context, the GRS community in Pakistan, and other developing countries struggling with climate action, should pursue more research. Dr. Uppal and Dr. Wakil circled back on the argument that in order to achieve this goal, the governmental agencies also need to be more open for data sharing.
It was also noted with concern by nearly all the experts that access to pertinent ground data from the authorities is generally restricted, and there are often explicit or implicit red tapes that discourage principal investigators from acquiring the data. Greater openness for data sharing should be demanded by the funding agencies on projects that are granted to public sector agencies in Pakistan. Data sharing portals must be developed and maintained by these agencies
All in all, the panelists presented various steps relevant to climate action in Pakistan – but in order to walk the talk, all stakeholders need to be proactive. These panel discussions anchored the fact that remote sensing provides an immense opportunity to facilitate informed decision-making. However, the uptake of remote sensing as a tool to tackle climate change and inform policy making remain abysmally low in developing countries like Pakistan.
Translating Ideas to Impact: Actionable Items for Remote Sensing Community
Based on expert discussions, the following key action items for effective climate action are suggested:
- Strengthen North-South and South-South Research Collaborations:
- Initiate and fund joint research projects between developed and low-income countries focused on knowledge exchange, technology development and capacity building for climate action mitigation.
- Develop Data Sharing Platforms:
- Create, support and strengthen platforms that facilitate the sharing and analysis of climate data between countries. This can be achieved by proactively contributing to Climate Change and Environmental Dataset categories on platforms like IEEE Data Portal and increasing its outreach.
- Standardize Climate Data:
- Develop and implement standardized protocols for climate data collection and analysis. Promote the adoption of these standardized data practices to ensure the development of climate action-centric EO products that are reliable and useful for policymaking.
- Advocate for Data Openness:
- Call for data openness in developing countries by urging international and national funding agencies to prioritize openness in data sharing for projects granted to public and private sector agencies.
In short, the panel discussions were fruitful in identifying and highlighting the concerns from the experts regarding an effective climate action plan in Pakistan. The recommendations seem generalizable to other developing countries that are vulnerable to the devastating impacts of climate change. The panelists and the audience thanked IEEE GRSS REACT technical committee for the initiative. We need more discussions like these to build a critical mass of global citizens who can nudge multi-level stakeholders for effective climate action.
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