Climate Change as a Non-Traditional Security Threat: Economic Implications for Pakistan and Bangladesh (2021-2025)

Abstract

Climate change has thus become one of the most prominent non-traditional security threats of the twenty first century and has been particularly harsh and devastating on the weak developing countries with its economic impacts. Even though Pakistan and Bangladesh are two countries with highly dense populations and predominantly agrarian economies with very low contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, they are still experiencing severe economic impacts from climate change. Pakistan's contribution to global emissions is less than 1% but it is among the world's 10 most climate-susceptible countries. Bangladesh's share is about 0.47% of the world's emissions but it is facing threats to its existence due to sea level rise, flooding, and more intense cyclones. This article draws on the concept of non-traditional security theory and critically discusses the economic impact of climate change on both countries in the fields of agriculture, infrastructure, energy, health and financial services. The study, based on peer-reviewed scholarship and institutional data from the World Bank, IPCC and Asian Development Bank, shows that unabated climate change will cost Pakistan up to 18–20% of its GDP annually by 2100 while Bangladesh will lose 9% of its GDP annually over the same period, putting at risk decades of development gains.