Short and long term impacts of wreck-havoc flooding in Pakistan

Floods are the “Acts of God” but losses are the acts of man. It is evident that “water” will be the root cause of the defining crisis and wreck-havoc of our country. It can emerge in the form of droughts, storms, or floods to the degradation of water quality. If the situation does not come to a halt, major “crises” are inevitable along with the proliferation of water refugees.

The disastrous floods of 2022 due to aberrant and torrential monsoon rains have caused sheer-scale annihilation in most areas of Pakistan. After a terrible heat wave in 61 years in April and May, Pakistan was hit by a tremendous monsoon spell as mentioned by the U.N. chief Antonio Guterres. Our motherland has been the foremost country to bear the consequences of climate change in the world. Climate change is a gigantic ongoing crisis in the world that needs to be addressed expeditiously. The dire humanitarian crisis left one-third of the country floating on eater leaving 1100 dead and displacing 33 million people.

Hundreds of thousands of homes, livestock, schools, etc, have consummately dematerialized. Subsequently, the government has estimated a financial loss of $30bn. The miscellaneous floods calamitously affected the agricultural sector which can lead to malnutrition and an escalated death rate. It is evident that Pakistan is one of the lowest contributors to climate change but had to face atrocious flooding this year, it is expected to twofold in the coming years if the developed countries do not address climate change as a global crisis. This issue is not only limited to Pakistan, subsequently, but the world and the leading powers were also already aware of exacerbated outcomes of the changing weather patterns. The disconnect and mismanagement of the disaster management authorities and the meteorological departments stand second to poor governance in terms of non coordination and preparedness.

The unanticipated change of government in April 2022 left Pakistan in a political and constitutional crisis. Followed by the ongoing crisis, floods led to country to face an atrocious humanitarian crisis, while worsening the chaotic situation. The poor governance and political instability stand responsible for making the country vulnerable to climatic shocks.

‘Who is supplemented to this catastrophe’? The national poverty is expected to increase by 4.7 percentage points, pushing 15.4 million people to poverty and leaving those already below the poverty line to an inflated atrocity. Difficulties like waterborne diseases lack shelter, clean drinking water to the basic “necessities’ to survive can potentially increase the mortality rate. There will be an additional food shortage due to the widespread destruction of Pakistani agriculture and livestock.

‘Can children in the flooded areas ever dream of education again’? It is no doubt perceive the atrocity of floods on education as horrendous. 2.8 million Children in Pakistan may not be able to attend schools, and 80% of them belong to Sindh. The underprivileged places and children trying to make up to schools from slums or “Kachi Basti”, although in a shorter number, would stay deprived of going back to school because their priorities would be to meet the basic necessities of life. Small-scale schools or any educational institution take a long time to develop, hence the ones which were destroyed by the ghastly floods can never be rebuilt again or would take years to restructure.

4.4 million Health concerns have been reported out of which women and children are the most vulnerable to these present calamities. These impacts may influence childbearing issues and can also dampen the fertility rate. There is an increased threat of miscarriages and without adequate health services, may result in loss of lives too. Extreme events and natural disasters are projected to become extremely severe because of climate change. Efforts to rebuild and maintain a healthy population should also pay attention to ensuring equitable consideration of health services in order to access similar reproductive health resources despite the economic uncertainty and social barriers.

The horrible 2022, flood transformed even the substantial villages into islands, destroying the farmlands which were the source of income for the habitants. The outburst of cholera, malaria, dengue, and most importantly ‘starvation’ due to lack of food has mounted the death rate. But the question here is “where to bury the dead”? Families are struggling to find a place to bury their loved ones. The cemeteries have vanished under the mammoth water levels due to the abrupt floods; a bloodcurdling dilemma has engulfed the entire land, not sparing a single dry land for burying the dead.

Pakistan has received aid from across the world, from all major bilateral and multilateral development partners and donors, but the question that remained unanswered is;
“Due to ongoing political and economic instability along with heightened food insecurity, is Pakistan in a position of tackling the terrible humanitarian crisis again, and who is solely responsible for this calamity? We inhabit a water plant and unless we protect, manage or refurbish that resource the future will be a totally diverse place as the one we imagine today.