Estimated losses put at $30bn: No end in sight yet to damages from recent floods

KARACHI: Rapidly worsening climate change has placed Pakistan at the crossroads with the fact of encompassing the third biggest ice mass of the world and simultaneously, confronting the sharply surging temperatures of the region (Rannard, 2022).

In a case study of 2022 floods in Pakistan, Dr Urwa Elahi, additional secretary general of case studies and research unit of Pakistan Businessmen Forum (BMP), has noted that the impressions are severe in Pakistan where around 30 million people are affected and potential damage is consistently on the rise.

High temperatures warming the Arabian Sea coupled with the weather warping effects of la Nina brought deadly precipitations in Pakistan where glacial melt further added to the misery.

Climate catastrophe: The impacts over social and politico-economic spheres, what had only been predicted so far as an impact of climate change, is being witnessed in Pakistan. A one-third of the country is under water, presenting a sight of an ocean with rare or no patches of land, said Senator Sherry Rehman while responding to Reuters (Kawoosa, Bhargava, Sharma, and Katakam, 2022).

A sight of plight indeed as the people, livestock and the infrastructure have drowned under 10 or more feet of water.

Havoc is wreaked by collapsing bridges, falling roofs and caving-in walls not standing the influx and magnitude of the gushing water that carries in it all forms of materials from stones, woods to heavy metal infrastructures.

The buildings, roads and transports have completely swept away with the flood streams leaving behind the submerged area similar to flood plains. The number of affectees is soaring high and hundreds have lost their lives, thousands injured and millions displaced with their houses turned to debris (The Visual Journalism Team, 2022).

Even more unfortunate is the fact that the torrential rains system and the potential floods risk was quite persistent threatening what is left as refuge. Extreme floods are followed by extreme droughts as water tends to flow into sea during flood than leaching into the soil ironically inducing a water shortage.

With a hastily estimated $30 billion loss to economy the terror of this deadly flood is yet unfolding in the other dependent sectors.

The recent flood has jolted the already dwindling economy along with many other crucial sectors of government from food, agriculture to health and infrastructure. The human security index hit lowest in the wake of natural disaster across the state that simultaneously opened multiple fronts, for the government, requiring immediate attention. A multi-pronged approach must be devised to tackle the contingent devastations and overcome the exposed fault-lines for future. The hardest hit is the agricultural sector that faces an unprecedented loss of assortments as 50 percent of crop washed away with tides of flood.

Around 2 million acres of cropland and orchards have also been lost (NASA, 2022). Unfortunately, 45 percent of the farmland is under water forecasting a future shortage of food in country on accounts of losing ready to harvest yields.

The farmers mourn the flood has taken them back at least half a century and the devastation of this scale has never been witnessed even by their elders. The houses swamped and pranced with the erosive streams of flood like weightless straws.

A grave dearth of empathy is vastly observed at the hands of authorities as the affected are treated with contempt and disrespect. The food and necessity items are thrown on grounds from helicopters rupturing their packaging and adding much to wastage.

Furthermore, on ground lack of discipline, during the distribution of aid items, caused chaos and stampede that deprived many from this urgent support. The scarce health facilities are too a matter of great concern as it is summoning an impending medical emergency in near future.

Under the open skies surrounded with polluted water the people are exposed to all kinds of mosquitoes, flies, snakes as well as other water and airborne diseases. The discharge of water is still not fully materialized, thus, supplementing to the deteriorated conditions in the longer run. Unfortunately, some of the medical and food aids were also robbed by the corrupt mafia though means of displacement and storage in cold stores.

An even distressing fact is that the rehabilitation is still a far cry in view of the prevailing deplorable conditions of the flood victims and the inefficient public machinery for relief. Political impunity from accountability: People are used to of the ill treatment at the hands of authorities.

The intense flooding is in no way their fault yet they are taught to be patient as its nature’s decision for their fate and not the professed incapacities of the handlers of the state management. For years upon years the frequent terrifying floods hitting the nation has not convinced the policy makers enough to consider this as critical as self-serving amendments.

Power is manhandled between elites like a game of thrones and the mandate granting majority sees helplessly as mere spectators. Money drawing the strings of horses, those that public created at the expense of their vote, but in the direction of personal selfish pursuits. A situation quite persistent since the birth of Pakistan and political shamelessness / impudence not at all novels to its politics. The worsening abysmal circumstances, after the natural disaster unleashed/ run riot, called out people for help. Many formal requests also surfaced from the notables to lend hand to those in need.

Inundated in flood water and deprived of basic necessities the local awaits for an empathetic response from people and the system.

A number of news is reported regarding the aid distribution discrepancies from their storage to warehouses and to ultimately being sold on stores. At many instances either the aid couldn’t reach its destination or was distributed in a manner lacking respect and justice.

A recent event highlighted the brutal degradation of society where a stock of Panadol of worth 45 million rupees was retrieved from storage. Such cases are aimed at creating artificial shortage to induce inflation and cause price hike.

Other ill-fated incidents exposed the selling of aid packets of wheat and rice at the markets nearby. Majority of donors do not trust authorities with their valuables, therefore, many privately managed their aids collection and distribution among the displaced.

People climbed up the roofs of their houses in order to avoid the rising water levels in the lower stories, only where building didn’t collapse, and left suspended for nights there before the arrival of help.

Even unfortunate is the fact that these hard times aren’t momentary rather these predict an approaching long struggle of revival in the future.

The case study suggests a much needed requirement is primarily the shift in budget priorities that imparts an additional focus on planning and development of the society.

An emergency declaration is impending that shall be dedicated to the health and sanitation sectors’ amelioration for the betterment of the locals.

Special training programs and updated apparatus shall be organized so that the rescue operatives may be well equipped for such operations conductions. A well connected network of emergency pathways shall be formed to ensure communication at times of crisis.

The lower riparian zones shall be protected by means of policy regulation. A vigorous Anti-encroachment drive against illegal establishments shall be launched that clears water-ways and this may be duly supported by legal system.

These are some of the steps that may supplement sowing the seeds of future sustainability along with the resolve to resort to a clean and green energy revolution.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022