Away from the media spotlight, which is almost entirely focused on the drama unfolding in Islamabad, a wave of death and destruction continues to wash over Pakistan. Floods caused by severe rainfall continue to wreak devastation from the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea, destroying livelihoods and sweeping away entire settlements, leaving death and misery in their wake.
Climate change is no longer an abstract doomsayer’s warning: the climate has altered, and we have been caught off guard. The Pakistan Meteorological Department stated as much in relation to the 385 percent increase in rainfall in Sindh and 371 percent increase in Balochistan so far this summer.
Back-to-back heatwaves in the two provinces had preceded the exceptionally high rainfall, creating the circumstances for the calamity that ultimately occurred. There is widespread concern that these catastrophic weather patterns will become the “new normal” for Pakistan.
Every day, the mortality toll from this year’s rains appears to rise, with Balochistan appearing to be the worst-affected region.
Given the amount of destruction, it is sad that no attempt has been made to formally map the disaster-stricken areas or emphasise the geographical zones that continue to suffer greater risk. If such information has been gathered by any authority, it must be made public so that the scope and character of this summer’s calamity can be studied for the future.
It also appears that disaster response is still being carried out on an ad hoc basis rather than in accordance with a strategy to avoid loss of life and livelihood. This has to change.
The devastation of life and property on this magnitude this year is an expensive lesson for administrations and provincial governments to understand what their future development goals should be. Clearly, climate resilience must be the defining feature of any future rehabilitation and reconstruction work. The infrastructure that has been destroyed, as well as the settlements that have been wiped off the face of the planet, must be rebuilt, with the understanding that what has happened this year can and will most likely happen again: if not next year, then the year after.
Aside from that, a tremendous effort will be required to educate the population at the community level on how to adapt to the changing environment. Where to establish towns and plant crops, how to protect lives and livestock, and how to withstand a natural disaster are just a few of the critical areas where the government may help by connecting professionals with citizens.
If we are to survive in a changing climate, we must adapt from the ground up. Once the reconstruction begins, that should be the primary focus.
