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Title Impact of Food Scarcity on National Security of Pakistan

Author(s) Muhammad Ahsan Iftikhar

Abstract Food scarcity has become a critical challenge for developing countries, particularly Pakistan, a nation with the fifth-largest population and an agriculture-based economy. Despite this agricultural foundation, the country struggles to ensure the availability, accessibility, and affordability of adequate and nutritious food due to climate change, water scarcity, soil degradation, mismanagement of resources, population growth, and poor governance. These challenges not only deepen poverty and malnutrition but also impact health and social stability. Pakistan is already facing extreme political instability, economic crisis, social unrest, and geopolitical rivalries. In this scenario, food scarcity adds to the existing challenges faced by the country. As food insecurity worsens, it fuels unrest, increases economic disparities, and undermines public trust in governance, ultimately threatening national cohesion and state stability. This thesis aims to examine the impact of food scarcity on Pakistan’s socio-economic landscape and analyzes how food scarcity is worsening due to poverty and creating challenges for the governance and overall security of the country. The research contends that food scarcity fuels discontentment among people regarding existing socio-economic policies, increasing economic disparities, unrest and protest, and a weak political system. With the application of Barry Buzan's Securitization Theory, the thesis emphasizes how food scarcity can be seen as a non-traditional security threat that needs attention and extraordinary steps. It argues for the integration of food security into national security planning and calls for policy transformation emphasizing sustainable agriculture, improved water management, and inclusive governance. The findings contribute to the discourse on non-traditional security and propose actionable policy recommendations for addressing food scarcity in ways that strengthen Pakistan’s internal stability and regional peace. Keywords: Food Scarcity, national Security, Pakistan, securitization theory, non-traditional

Type Thesis/Dissertation

Faculty Social Sciences

Department International Relations

Language English

Publication Date 2025-06-17

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