Climate change to decline Pak's agri yields

Women are regarded vital part of the agricultural sector in Pakistan. However, gender-based inequalities in Pakistan are huge such as land ownership, accessing inputs, extension and financial services, Pakistan-based The Nation reported.

The International Food Policy Research Institute in the study found that climate change is projected to cause a decline in Pakistan’s agricultural yields of up to 40 per cent by 2050, further exacerbating food insecurity for women, Sania Arif wrote in The Nation report. The agriculture sector of Pakistan contributes 18.9 per cent to GDP and employees 42.3 per cent of the labour forces, including women. According to the estimates, half of Pakistan’s population still lives in rural regions and directly rely on the agriculture, including production of wheat, cotton, sugarcane, rice, mangoes and dates, according to The Nation.

Still, Pakistan faces a huge food crisis due to rapidly increasing population and inadequate food productivity. Currently, Pakistan is ranked at 92nd position out of 116 nations in Global Hunger Index, as per the news report.