Climate change appears to be the most pressing issue for the whole world in the last two decades. Eventually, South Asia, being exposed to the vulnerability of climate change, will stand at the forefront of severe impacts for a long time. The annual mean temperature of 0.75 percent is observed to be rising in South Asia. From 1990 to 2008, around half of South Asia's population, or 750 million people were affected by natural calamities, including 230,000 deaths. The rapid melting of snow in the Himalayas will impact more than 200 million people in Maldives, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. By 2030, the estimated economic loss because of climate disasters is expected to be $160 billion annually. India and Pakistan, being the largest stakeholders in South Asia's stability will also bear the burden of worsening climate change in the region. Lahore and New Delhi face the worst consequences as the most polluted cities in the world. For climate change as an existential threat, instant mitigation is critical. With climate change as a common threat to both sister states, mutual mitigation strategies would help address the challenge efficiently and serve as a catalyst to break the ice between India and Pakistan and develop ties for the shared interest of a peaceful and prosperous region.
According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the average global temperature rise is about to touch 2.7 degrees Celsius, far more than 1.5 Degrees Celsius, the average committed from the pre-industrial era. Confronting this particular issue, South Asia stands out as the most vulnerable to climate change. According to the Air Quality Index (AQI), Lahore stands first as the most polluted city in the world followed by New Delhi as the second most polluted city. A prompt response to this drastic change is crucial and in the interest of both states as it poses a serious threat to human security.
Lahore and Delhi are termed as 'Sister States' for sharing culture, traditions, and now the climate consequences. Both are exposed to fog, polluted air, heat waves, diminishing green cover, and dangerously high temperatures due to rapid urban development expansion and high population. With these developments, the metropolitans are prone to health security challenges in the future. Moreover, both the states being agricultural, hold other implications as Himalayan melting glaciers caused floods, displacements, corps destruction, and infrastructure loss. In short, both India and Pakistan face identical issues and the mitigation is essentially pivotal.
According to the World Bank report, India-Pakistan bilateral trade has the potential of $37 billion which can enhance the economic landscape
Pakistan and India, the two nuclear powers, have been arch-rivals since independence. The bilateral relations between both states remained embittered most of the time in history, currently at the lowest for multiple confrontations in the last couple of years. Apart from traditional security, the climate vulnerability of both states, though a trouble, comes up with an opportunity to break the ice leading to gradual bilateral stability between both countries. The modern security concept considers economic and human security to be important pillars of state security policy. The non-traditional security threats impact across borders with the same intensity, eventually making the states responsible for coping with common threats through shared commitment and mutual cooperation. Having said that, Pakistan and India, both face the same challenges in Lahore and New Delhi respectively. A shared threat perception ultimately should lead to mutual mitigation as a shared interest. This can be taken as an opportunity for both states to come forth for enhanced response and set the trek for future cooperation in multiple sectors i.e., economic, and political. Initiating from low politics can act as a catalyst to set good terms in high politics. Pakistan and India, since 1972, have held several confidence-building measures (CBMs) at times including the Simla Accord, Samjhota Express, Lahore Declaration, and Composite Dialogue, being some of the prominent among many others measures. Unfortunately, these have been undermined after short-term functionality due to the hostile rhetoric and failed peace process.
The sister states climate cooperation between Lahore and New Delhi would be a milestone that sets the stage for gradual improvement in the relations. Both units can share ideas, technologies, mitigation strategies, finances, and other resources necessary to dismantle. This can further be upgraded to the provincial cooperation mechanism as both Pakistan and Indian Punjab share the same culture and challenges. The Chief Ministers’ mutual cooperation between both Punjab also be a catalyst for developing ties. According to the World Bank report, India-Pakistan bilateral trade has the potential of $37 billion which can enhance the economic landscape. The initiative during 2004-2008, by Parvez Ilahi and Captain Amarinder Singh –the then Chief Ministers of Pakistani and Indian Punjab respectively- starting from the World Punjabi Conference in January 2004 led to the culture and transport exchange program followed by the Joint Punjab Games in December 2004. Similarly, Pakistan took another step towards connectivity through key Sikh shrines in Nankana Sahib, recently extending the Kartarpur Corridor agreement for the next five years. Later in 2011, Shehbaz Sharif and his counterpart Sukhbir Singh Badal revived the tie during the latter's visit to Pakistan Punjab. They set the stage for economic and trade ties through the Joint Working Committee.
Amidst all the speculations of 'ice-breaking' between India and Pakistan during the Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's visit to Islamabad for the SCO summit, Chief Minister Punjab, Maryam Nawaz took a step forward calling Punjab across the border for cooperation on climate as the threat is posed to humanity which knows no borders. With these developments, Pakistan and India can strike while Iron is hot. This brings dual benefits such as enhanced mitigation strategies and a pathway of future collaboration for a peaceful region with a shared interest in prosperity. With both parties, unable to conclude the issues of extraordinary concern including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, climate issues can be a blessing in disguise, urging both countries to negotiate without playing the typical blame game. If there is a political will on both sides, this is the time to utilise the avenues for the issues of mutual concern.