Publication details

• Sunday | 01 Sep, 2002
• Shaheen Rafi Khan
• Working Papers
• 28

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Shaheen Rafi Khan 2002 Abstract Society’s ability or inability to adapt successfully reflects its state of development. While the IPCC, Third Assessment Report (TAR), 2001 accepts this premise, it also appears to contradict itself by alluding to macro and micro strategies for climate change as if the two were disconnected. This paper, which is with reference to Pakistan, argues  that the absence of sustainable human development (SHD) creates social and ecological instability and that such instability is likely to be exacerbated by climate change. In fact, we posit that unsustainable development paths tend to block climate specific adaptations.  Case studies are used to illustrate the effects of policy neglect and intransigence upon poor communities and complex ecosystems, which are both a source of biodiversity and a means of livelihoods.