By: Samra Athar Kakakhel
Over 1,000 people have died and nearly one million families have been damaged in Pakistan’s worst devastating floods in at least a decade, as the latest in a string of climate change-related disasters threatens the country’s economic recovery.
Monsoon rains and flooding have swept through Pakistan in recent weeks, negatively impacting three of the country’s four provinces: Sindh, Baluchistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to data, Sindh has gotten approximately eight times the average amount of rainfall in August, destroying crops such as rice and cotton.
Estimates indicate that more than 30 million people, or about 15 percent of the total population, were directly affected, and thousands were compelled to flee their homes. It’s the climate disaster of the decade. We have never witnessed a flood story come to Pakistan in our entire life.
The floods have largely caused Pakistan’s economic difficulties. To deal with the fallout, development grants, and potential budget funding are urgently needed. Foreign countries are requested to help us in battling the deadly floods that are threatening Pakistan’s fragile economy. There could be concerns with our trade bills and currency fluctuations as a direct consequence of food imports for the adversely affected. There is a probability that the rupee will continue to be weakened as a result of the payment balance impact. We’re in for a rough ride. Because the country has been devastated by the ongoing rainstorm, the government must draw attention to aid agencies and humanitarian aid to support affected areas. Flooding has also risen the pressure on the current government, which is going to face a sustained political challenging problem. This is the time for all political parties to put aside their ongoing political hatreds and concentrate on current social issues in order to unite and help those who need assistance.
Mismanagement is another reason for concern in Pakistan, as is persistent neglect, which has largely caused the economic burden of climate-change-related disasters. These are “man-made catastrophic events,” such as structures built poorly and in unsecured locations on the river banks and coastal waters without good infrastructure and safety standards; before the construction of such resort towns and structures, a risk response plan should be established.
We all understand that natural disasters cannot be avoided by any nation on the planet, but human catastrophes that result from them can be avoided. No country could control such devastating floods, as everybody knows.