ISLAMABAD: Climate change along with local environmental degeneration is pushing vulnerable farming and fishing communities in Pakistan towards increased poverty and suffering, according to a new study published by Oxfam.

The community-based research ‘Climate change, poverty and environmental crisis in the disaster-prone areas of Pakistan’ was conducted in three provinces of Pakistan.

The findings revealed that the inhabitants of these areas were not only aware that climate was changing, but they were also actually perceptive about the adverse impacts it had on their lives and livelihood.

The findings revealed that residents of Rajanpur complained of reduced winters – from six to only three months and long summer from six to nine months.

The study highlighted the strong correlation between the findings from the community surveys and the climate trends and predictions done by scientists.

The study also revealed how a changing climate along with depletion of natural resources was rapidly aggravating risks to the life and livelihood of the communities that were mostly dependent on natural resources for their survival.

Adaptation to climate change was urgently needed to help people secure their lives and livelihood, the study concluded.