Monsoon Misery

The country’s current monsoon rains, which are battering several regions, have brought back somber memories of the extensive damage caused by the extraordinary floods that occurred two years ago. Not only did the July rains fall short of usual, but they also killed animals and destroyed buildings, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure, resulting in at least 123 deaths countrywide. Punjab, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan continue to be the areas most impacted. The new monsoon season, which began on Thursday, has also claimed lives and destroyed property. In KP and GB, floods destroyed roads and bridges, and in Punjab, a record-breaking stretch inundated Lahore and other cities.Numerous regions of KP and GB are isolated from the rest of the nation due to flash floods that destroyed bridges and highways, trapping thousands of tourists in these locations. There was severe disruption to vital services like electricity, plane and train travel, hospital emergency, and so on. The NDMA has issued a warning, stating that as the current spell is expected to extend until August 6, many sections of the nation are likely to face urban and flash flooding in the future. It is predicted that there will be another round of extremely heavy rain from August 7 to August 15. Nearly 100 people died in events linked to unseasonal rains earlier in the spring.Policymakers must construct climate-resilient infrastructure due to the increasing frequency and severity of rain-related disasters, which are caused by climate change and frequently result in severe loss of life and destruction. However, in order to bridge the resource gap and make the necessary investment, it will take time and international financial support. However, they must quickly strengthen their defenses against climate change by increasing their ability to anticipate anomalous weather patterns in advance and to evacuate, rescue, and rehabilitate people that are in danger. Without a sure, since the 2010 floods, our disaster agencies have significantly increased their capabilities in these areas. The 2022 flood, however, exposed a number of shortcomings and demonstrated unequivocally that the provincial and national disaster services are still ill-equipped and unable to handle disasters of this magnitude. A significant portion of the approximately 33 million people impacted by one of the worst floods in the country’s history—many of whom are still displaced—could not even be reached for rescue when the deluge struck. Although the government is powerless to stop climate-related calamities, it can lessen their devastating effects.