Akash Ghani
Pakistan is facing an unprecedented disaster, with abnormal rains lasting for weeks battering different parts of the country and resulting in floods that have caused heavy damages not only to property, and crops but also to life. Till now more than 30 million people have become homeless and around $10 billion lost along with 1100 lives, and about 2200 miles of road being destroyed. Surprisingly Pakistan is responsible for 0.4% of Global emissions yet Pakistan is listed among the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change. For the past few decades, Pakistan’s environment has been changing. Pakistan has 7253 glaciers which are reportedly melting fast owing its reason to climate change which has quickened the melting speed, which will result in flash floods. Not only this but extreme weather, droughts, heat waves, erratic rainfall pattern, and shifting seasons will alter the course of the Indus river. Ultimately It will affect the lives of more than 42% population whose livelihood comes from agriculture, with the inadequate quantity of harvests the remaining population will be affected as well. Inflation will increase manifolds. It is crucial to devise new policies and implement them to counter climate change. Such as making a chain of dams on smaller scales in every part of the country to store rainfall and diversion canals that in emergency floods could be diverted from the city. Failure of proper infrastructure and misgovernance have also acerbated destruction across the country. Those in power did not learn from past lessons and continued to rule the country without adequate protection against such scenarios. If steps were taken then if not circumvented the crisis at least it would have mitigated its effects. This catastrophic situation should be an eye opener for the rulers and the ruled that if nothing is done then this scenario will be repeated every year with disastrous results.
