A timely national response could have reduced the scale of flood devastation
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There are horrific scenes of the destruction across Pakistan that has left millions of people homeless and without provisions. Entire villages have been wiped out by torrential rains and floods. Hundreds of people including young children have been swept away by raging waters. The images of multi-story buildings washed away by flash floods show devastation of biblical proportions. The losses in terms of both human lives and property are enormous.
It is not the first time the country is facing a natural calamity but the magnitude of the current crisis is far greater. More than 30 million people or 15 percent of the country’s total population are believed to have directly been affected by the devastation. And it’s not over yet with forecasts of fresh spells of rains about to wreak havoc in the coming days.
While according to official figures more than 1000 people have died across the country and millions have been displaced since the start of the early monsoon in July, the real cost of the damage is estimated to be much higher. People have lost their livelihoods with hundreds of thousands of acres of crops destroyed and livestock perished in flood waters. Broken infrastructure has worsened the plight of the people.
What is most shocking is that it took weeks for the administration to wake up to the gravity of the crisis. Timely action could have certainly reduced the impact. Belatedly a state of emergency was declared and the government launched an international appeal seeking funds for relief and rehabilitation of flood-hit people and the restoration of damaged infrastructure. But a coherent national response is still missing. There is no coordination among various stakeholders thus exposing the incapacity of the of the state to deal with this emergency.
Most of the affected people have yet to receive help from the state because of the lack of a coordinated effort between the federal and provincial governments, making it more difficult to deliver aid to suffering people. The prevailing political uncertainty and instability have aggravated the situation. While the political parties are engaged in a bitter power struggle in Islamabad, the aid is slow to reach the devastated regions.
Unfortunately, this human catastrophe is lost in the ongoing political power game. Even a crisis of this scale has failed to unite the people.
Zahid Hussain
Balochistan, the country’s largest province in terms of land mass, may have been worst hit but the catastrophe is not limited to one region. The entire country- from south to north– has been devastated by the heavy downpour and swelling rivers and canals. Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city and its financial heartland presents a picture of ruin with streets submerged in water.
Despite forewarning of unusually heavy rains, the administration has been sorely lacking in preparedness. It is apparent that the authorities have not taken the warnings about the effects of climate change seriously. Pakistan is among the top five countries most prone to the effects of extreme weather conditions caused by a changing climate.
Over the past few years, we have witnessed extreme weather patterns — from increasingly high temperatures in the summer to heavy rains in some parts of the country, and drought in others. The projected temperature increase in Pakistan is higher than the global average. An increase in extreme temperatures has significantly altered climate patterns affecting the timing and strength of the monsoon rainfall as witnessed this year. Pakistan is facing extraordinary amounts of rain this year — almost three times the average.
More worrying is the projected temperature increase in the northern areas than in other parts of the country. That has caused the faster melting of glaciers impacting the natural environment. It also causes the flooding of rivers with devastating consequences. The economic cost of climate change for Pakistan is higher than in many other countries. Being an agriculture-dependent country significantly increases Pakistan’s vulnerability. Predictably, this heavy rainfall has caused agriculture to suffer the most.
It is very early at the moment to assess the cumulative economic losses in the ongoing calamity but with thousands of acres of crop destroyed, agricultural production is bound to fall and thus negatively impact an economy already on the brink. Moreover, the destruction of infrastructure will make economic recovery much harder.
Heavy rains and flooding have damaged highways and dams. It will require billions of dollars to restore damaged road networks and other facilities. All this will be a huge burden on the economy. But more important is the rehabilitation of hundreds of thousands of people who have been uprooted by the floods. It requires a focused effort from all state institutions and political forces. Unfortunately, this human catastrophe is lost in the ongoing political power game. Even a crisis of this scale has failed to unite the people.
- Zahid Hussain is an award-winning journalist and author. He is a former scholar at Woodrow Wilson Centre and a visiting fellow at Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, and at the Stimson Center in DC. He is author of Frontline Pakistan: The struggle with Militant Islam and The Scorpion’s tail: The relentless rise of Islamic militants in Pakistan. Frontline Pakistan was the book of the year (2007) by the WSJ. His latest book ‘No-Win War’ was published this year. Twitter: @hidhussain
