Pakistan knows it’s flood prone but government waits till disaster hits
https://arab.news/cuznc
As of now, more than one in five Pakistanis-- that’s 50 million people and counting-- have been severely impacted by super floods which have killed nearly 1,400 people. Vast swathes of Pakistan are inundated, severely affecting 116 districts in the country, 66 of which have officially been declared ‘calamity hit.’
The humanitarian situation in Pakistan has deteriorated further in the past two weeks as heavy rains have continued to batter most parts of the country, causing massive landslides resulting in major displacements and damages all across the country.
As of August 25, Pakistan has received 375.4mm of rainfall--that’s approximately 2.87 times higher than the national 30-year average of 130.8 mm primarily in Balochistan, Sindh and some parts of Punjab. Balochistan received five times its average 30-year rainfall whereas Sindh received 5.7 times its 30-year average.
These unusually heavy monsoons have wreaked havoc across South Asia this year. In May and June, vast areas of Bangladesh and North East India were affected, killing thousands and displacing millions. Over the past few weeks, it has battered Pakistan. 70% of the country is under water.
The UN chief has called the Pakistan floods a climate catastrophe, caused by ‘a monsoon on steroids.’ The weather pattern behind this latest disaster is all too consistent with threats posed by climate change and are expected to happen more frequently in a warming world. A rapidly changing climate will make the problems Pakistan is experiencing now, even worse. Warmer air tends to hold more moisture, hence making heavy monsoon rains a frequent phenomenon. It will also result in mountain ice to melt faster, which is a significant cause for concern for Pakistan, since it is home to more glaciers than any other country in the world outside the polar regions. Flash floodings in the recent past have already caused massive loss of life and infrastructure.
Enough has already been said and written about Pakistan being ranked 8th in the world on the long-term Global Climate Risk Index and this narrative is being flagged and highlighted for the past almost decade now. So why do our policy makers always act as if they’ve been caught unaware. We need to question if enough is even being done at the policy level to heed sufficiently the threats posed by climate change? And if not, what are the reasons for the failure in governing disasters?
In Pakistan, early warning systems were improved after the mega floods of 2010, but unfortunately weren’t effectively utilized to avert disaster.
Mehreen Mujtaba
Flood prone countries around the world have spent decades developing methods to contain and minimize damages. So, the wheel doesn’t really need to be re-invented. These models can easily be adopted and replicated. The most apt example being that of Bangladesh, which has successfully invested in flood defense and devised a viable model based on three important aspects; early warning systems, infrastructure adjustments and efficient methods for swift financial relief. Investing in flood resistant housing by subsidies and incentives provided by the government has helped scores of residents in low lying, cyclone prone areas of Bangladesh. A scientifically based early warning system, which gathers weather data down to the village level has helped predict flood days in advance, helping early evacuations. In Bangladesh, mobile money transfers provide swift financial help. All this has helped save many lives and also facilitated the process of rehabilitation. In Pakistan, early warning systems were improved after the mega floods of 2010, but unfortunately weren’t effectively utilized to avert disaster. In addition, better and equitable cash transfer networks could help provide relief to those who have lost their livelihoods.
Flood management should form one of the biggest parts of our country’s budget, just like it does in China and the US. Instead, the Indus river irrigation system, the largest in the world and the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, has been kept esurient of any form of investment to mitigate the risks of natural disasters, and we are facing the catastrophic affects of this negligent state of affairs.
Dams are an important part of flood protection by collecting and holding water when it reaches a certain level. Once collected, a dam might be designed to release the water back into the river at a controlled speed or divert the water to another area for irrigation.
In a country like Pakistan, some of the first line defense against floods are dams and colonial era projects such as the Sukkur Barrage, an intricate and sophisticated system of dams and canals to divert waters of the Indus River to irrigate the arid areas of southern Sindh. Unfortunately, due to years of neglect, lack of maintenance and underinvestment, the Sukkar Barrage system is in a dilapidated and poor state.
Additionally, Mangla and Tarbela dams have become choked with silt and debris, reducing their capacity to accommodate the floodwaters in order to prevent torrents further downstream. In case of Tarbela dam, the storage capacity of the reservoir currently stands at 57%. When was the last time these dams were de-silted?
The underbelly for all our woes is the decades of political instability which has diverted the focus from governance and planning needed for building resilience against floods. Pakistan is currently facing the triple burden of economic and political instability as well as massive floods drowning one third of the country. The sad part is that instead of political parties coming together in the face of this disaster to collectively brainstorm the country out of its current predicament, the ousted party’s leadership is busy exploiting the disaster using this opportunity to score against their political opponents-- which may jeopardize the relief efforts of the government.
Pakistan is struggling to run against the clock. A lot needs to be done to alleviate the miseries of millions of people, and quickly.
- Dr. Mehreen Mujtaba is a freelance consultant working in the areas of environment and health.
