ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday sounded alarm at Pakistan’s rising population and the disastrous climate change effects being suffered by the country, saying that these two reasons could prevent Pakistan from becoming a $3 trillion economy.
Pakistan’s population is over 241 million people, making it the sixth most populous country in the world. A lack of adequate infrastructure, health and educational opportunities in the country puts added stress on its public services, giving rise to unemployment and poverty.
The South Asian nation is also recognized among countries that are most affected by climate change worldwide. Unusually heavy monsoon rains in 2022 killed over 1,700 people and inflicted damages worth over $30 billion. Torrential rains and floods also killed over 1,000 people in Pakistan since late June this year, as authorities carry out surveys to determine the extent of the damage inflicted by the deadly rains.
“So when we say that we are a $411 billion economy that can be a $3 trillion economy, there are two reasons that can derail us,” Aurangzeb said during an interview with Geo News.
“One is climate change and the second is population. Population growth.”
