Pakistan Floods – and
the Aftermath

The scale of floods in Pakistan this year is simply staggering. It has been a deluge of biblical proportions that is said to have been triggered by the phenomenon of early monsoons, which in turn were a product of global climate change. There were intense rains in the riverine regions of Pakistan from June to September. This submerged more than one-third of the country. Some 30 million people, or 15 percent of the population, were affected as a result and led to the deaths of more than 1, 500 people (official estimate) while millions were made homeless. Pakistan does not produce much carbon emissions (less than 1 percent of global output). This is because it is not an industrialized country but it bears the brunt of climate change created by green house gases (GHG) emitted by the world’s industrialized nations.

Sadly, Pakistani has not learnt from its own past experiences. It was just 12 years ago, in 2010, that floods in Pakistan wreaked havoc across the country. The Indus River basin was seriously affected and almost one-fifth of Pakistan’s total land area was submerged. The floods left some 2,000 persons dead while 20 million people were affected by destruction of property, livelihood and infrastructure. The extensive damage hurt Pakistan’s economy severely as infrastructure and crops were deeply distressed. No lessons were learnt, however, and during the twelve year ensuing period from 2010 to 2022, no preparations were made at any level to contend with flood disasters.

Pakistan has very poor ecological governance. The recent tragedy could have been avoided if planning were in place and preventive action had been taken in time. The spread of deforestation is a major factor that has added to the problem. Had there been more forests, they would have served as bulwarks against raging floodwaters. The poor drainage systems also intensify flooding while unregulated and unauthorized construction in flood zones results in death and destruction.

Pakistan deserves long-term international climate assistance. It lacks the resources to undertake necessary mitigation efforts on its own. It must build climate-resilient structures, with stronger river embankments, updated water infrastructure, more resilient building materials, and early warning systems. In this respect, donor fatigue must also be taken into account but ways must be found to ensure that the country does not suffer the same catastrophe again.

Syed Jawaid Iqbal
President & Editor in Chief