The heavy monsoon rain that recently thrashed the city of Karachi was just a glimpse of the devastating effects that climate change can bring about in Pakistan. Yet the authorities remain ignorant of the issue. The truth is that such disastrous events will only get worse and increase in frequency. In the future, millions of people might be directly affected by such natural disasters unless the authorities start acting now.
In such a situation, understanding the meaning of resilience is of utmost importance as the future is riddled with constant change and uncertainty, evident from severe heatwaves followed by heavy monsoon rainfalls that persist all year round. Apart from the disaster that such climate events can bring about, its aftermath can lead to much severe consequences such as food insecurity, droughts and floodings, displacing millions and rendering them homeless.
The authorities concerned should by now realise that our existing systems need to be resilient in the wake of a climate catastrophe, which means that systems should be able to adapt to the constantly changing climate situation. Otherwise Pakistan, being one of the most vulnerable countries with regard to climate change, will crumble under pressure. It is about time that the authorities concerned educated themselves on the science behind climate change global warming so that they are better equipped to fight this massive battle. Otherwise the future for Pakistan seems bleak.
Rehan Qureshi
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2020.
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