Climate Change and Displacement in Pakistan: Resettlement Policy Challenges and Multisectoral Impacts

Abstract

Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, experiencing severe impacts such as recurrent flooding, glacial melting, and droughts. These environmental crises have led to significant internal displacement, exposing gaps in resettlement policies and creating multifaceted health, economic stability, and social challenges. This review examines the state of resettlement policies in Pakistan, their adequacy in addressing climate-induced displacement, and the resulting impacts on affected populations. This article highlights critical shortcomings by analyzing existing frameworks and case studies and proposes actionable recommendations to develop sustainable and comprehensive resettlement strategies. The study concludes that displacement and climate change are interwoven and transpose a flood of challenges to Pakistan’s development pathway. Its current form suggests that the policies for migration due to climate change are inadequate to respond to the multifaceted consequences of displacement. Therefore, the advanced policies from developed nations should be placed for sustainability.