“Let’s stop sleepwalking towards the destruction of our planet by Climate change. Today, it is Pakistan, Tomorrow, it could be your country”, Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-general of the United Nations warns the world. Climate change and Pakistan are in the spotlight these days, and there is a reason. Let’s find out.
What is climate change and why it is so serious?
A shift in regional or worldwide climatic patterns, particularly as a result of greenhouse gas emissions, is referred to as climate change. Since the industrial revolution in the late 1700s, Anthropogenic climate change has increased the average global temperature by 1.1 degrees.
Even though this change may appear insignificant, climate change is perhaps the most pressing environmental issue of the twenty-first century. Numerous disasters, including deadly floods, storms, heatwaves, droughts, hurricanes, and extreme rainfalls, to mention a few, are a result of the climate emergency.
The repercussions of climate change are already evident, and they are becoming increasingly hazardous. This year, it hit Europe first, then China, and now Pakistan.
Pakistan is suffering from the worst humanitarian crisis: Horrifying and disturbing visuals
It is no ordinary flooding that has hit Pakistan. The flooding that has recently hit Pakistan is unprecedented in scale and magnitude. The country has received equivalent to 2.9 times the national average of 30 years. July alone received rainfalls that exceeded the total normal monsoon rainfall by about 26%.
It is quite scary how badly climate change is affecting Pakistan. Whole towns, districts, and cities are submerged. More than 4 million acres of crops are destroyed. Houses, hospitals, schools, roads, and bridges are obliterated.
The recent flooding has damaged more than 1 million homes, internally displacing around 33 million people, which is roughly 13% of the whole population.
From June through August, more than 1200 individuals have lost their lives and 3,500 have suffered injuries. About 700,000 livestock have died.
Additionally, the UN Population Fund estimates that more than 6.4 million flood victims require humanitarian aid. According to estimates, 650,000 pregnant women are living in flood-affected areas, including 73,000 who expect delivery in the next month. These expectant moms require care for maternal health.
The recent climate crisis that hit Pakistan presents a horrifying picture. It is a wake-up call for other countries that have turned a blind eye to it.
Why are the floods this year so severe? Scientific explanations
Different theories put forth by researchers account for the current calamity. However, everyone agrees that Pakistan has been affected by climate change. Additionally, La Niña, a weather system that occurs in the Pacific Ocean, is a contributing factor in the high rainfall.
The monsoon is more destructive when La Niña is strong. This year was exceptional since 2022 is the third year in a row that a La Niña has occurred.
While another researcher from Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology claims that the flooding could also be tied to the heat waves in Europe. Similar incidents occurred in 2003 and 2010 when European heat waves forced Pakistan to have above-average precipitation.
The current weather disaster may possibly be related to the higher-than-average sea surface temperatures across the Indian Ocean. Higher temperatures lead to higher evaporation and consequently an intense rainfall.
Additionally, this year’s spring had record temperatures, which causes glaciers to melt. The melting of glaciers coupled with monsoon rainfall triggered flash floods.
In comparison to other nations outside of the polar regions, Pakistan has the most glacial ice. The region of Northern Pakistan is particularly susceptible to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) since it has more than 7,253 glaciers. 33 of the 3,044 glacial lakes have been identified as being particularly vulnerable to dangerous glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF).
Climate change and Pakistan: Who is to be blamed for this catastrophe?
Climate change and Pakistan are related intriguingly. With less than 1 % contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan is among the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change. According to the Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan is the 8th most vulnerable nation to climate change.
Greenhouse gas emitting nations like China, the US, the UK, and so on are the first to be held accountable for the climate emergency. Pakistan’s poor management, corruption, negligence, and inadequate disaster response came next.
More than a decade ago, the developed world has agreed to transfer at least $100 billion each year by 2020 to help their transition to clean energy and to help them adapt to climate change. But that amount is yet to be delivered in full.
Furthermore, Conferences of Parties and climate change meetings are held annually to address climate change; the most recent one, COP26, was held in Glasgow last year. Conferences, however, are little more than gatherings without rigorous adherence to the plans.
When it comes to blaming, there are many organizations, countries, and individuals who can be held responsible. But assigning blame is rarely a remedy. The fight against climate change must be prioritized.
The 2022 Pakistan Floods Response Plan (FRP)
In response to the recent flooding, the Pakistani government and the UN have launched the 2022 Pakistan Floods Response Plan (FRP). The plan focuses on the needs of 5.2 million people.
The proposal calls for spending $160.3 million on financial aid for women’s health, agriculture and livestock, shelter nutrition programs, water and sanitation, food security, support for education, and other services.
However, when compared to the cost of reconstruction, $160,3 million is insufficient. Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan’s minister of planning, stated that the preliminary evaluation indicated Pakistan required $10 billion for reconstruction and repair.
The way forward: What can be done to prevent such disasters in the future?
Crying over the spilled milk is not the solution. We need to redefine our perspectives regarding climate change. We need to understand the scale of destruction climate change can wrath upon us.
Even though the international community and world organizations have shown solidarity with Pakistan. Mere showing solidarity and moral support are not what Pakistan is expecting at the moment. What Pakistani people need is quick financial assistance from the international community.
Stirring climate change action is very critical to minimize the damage. This year climate change hit Pakistan, next year it can be any other country. So, there is no time delaying the action. Delayed action will only make the situation worse.
Here are a few recommendations that can help prevent such catastrophes in the future:
Flood risk management (FRM)
Wikipedia defines FRM as mitigating and preparing for flooding disasters, analyzing risks, and providing a risk analyzing system to mitigate the negative impacts caused by flooding.
A well-established flood risk management is very important to mitigate the damage and also to prevent flooding of such scale in the future. The development and execution of flood risk management should be a priority for all governments, including Pakistan’s.
Planting more trees
One of the simplest but most effective ways to combat climate change is by planting more trees. Even though it just takes a few minutes to plant a tree, the advantages can linger for decades. Find out more about planting trees in this blog post.
Promote renewable and sustainable solutions
The primary causes of climate change are non-renewable resources and fossil fuels. The transition to clean and renewable energy can help mitigate climate change. Therefore, governments should promote renewable energy and eliminate fossil fuel subsidies.
Climate change awareness
Climate change is the biggest environmental concern of the 21st century which is becoming increasingly hazardous. But a lot of influential people and interest groups do not believe in the science of climate change. People need to be well informed about the risk posed by climate change.
Promoting climate change mitigation strategies
Climate change mitigation is the responsibility of everyone, not just Pakistan. Every government, organization, and individual should play a role in mitigating climate change.
Building dams
Building dams has been a neglected business for Pakistan. In addition to being vulnerable to flooding, Pakistan is also affected by the shortage of water and energy.
Building dams can offer a plethora of benefits including power generation, flood control, water supply for drinking and irrigation, and many more.
Building dams should be made a national priority since flooding has turned into a national security issue for Pakistan.
An efficient building code design that promotes building climate resilience
An efficient building design code is very important to prevent disasters of such scale. People should not be permitted to build infrastructure in flood-prone areas.
An efficient building code design should be devised and strictly implemented to prevent environmental calamities.
Appeal for international aid
The recent flooding has caused the huge economic and infrastructural loss. Reconstruction and rehabilitation need financial support. Therefore, Pakistan seeks support from the international community and organizations.
For instance, former Pakistan’s Prime Minister held a live Telethon Fund Raising for flood victims. An amount of around Rs 5 billion was collected. Similarly, other public figures, community leaders, and politicians are raising funds for flood victims.
On 4th September 2022, Prince Rahim Aga Khan also pledged a donation of $10 million for the flood victims. This is a generous contribution to the cause. Pakistan is in dire need of such contributions.
Donations from the international community are pouring in via multiple mediums. Yet the total collected amount is incomparable to the damage caused by the flood. Every penny of donation counts.
Conclusion
Natural catastrophes cannot be completely prevented, but the harm may be reduced with greater emergency preparation and proactive measures. The world should take note of the lesson that procrastinating on combating climate change will only lead to disaster. Before it unleashes a holocaust on humanity, climate cha
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