KARACHI:
The ongoing torrential rains have wreaked havoc in Sindh and Balochistan resulting in floods. Glacier melts in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) have also caused landslides and flash flooding. During this disastrous time, many politicians have resorted to a pre-historic explanation that natural disasters are a sign of God’s anger because of our wrongdoings and abandonment of religious responsibilities. Therefore, implying that natural disasters are beyond human control. The truth is that they have used religion to cover up their incompetence, bad governance, and corruption.
If natural catastrophes are a manifestation of God’s wrath, why does God only punish the poor? Shamelessly, many of those same politicians are denying the reality of man-made climate threats. Climate change is a serious issue, which no one is taking seriously. Corporations have increased carbon emissions, which is increasing global warming. Polar ice caps have been drastically reduced and trees have been cut down to build infrastructure. All of this will ultimately threaten the earth’s survival.
If our federal and provincial governments and municipal authorities had taken urban planning, developing resilient infrastructure, and disaster management in earnest, people in Balochistan, Sindh, and K-P would not have been suffering such a catastrophe. Instead of calling extreme weather events a natural disaster, the government should work on creating drainage systems, dams and reservoirs. The current devastation is a societal failure that could be avoided if we used technology to monitor weather patterns. The Pakistani government must urge the global north to send assistance to Pakistan and help the country in mitigating the disaster. Importantly, Pakistan should be equipped with all the latest technology and infrastructure to combat future climate disasters.
Naimatullah Gadhi
Khairpur Mirs
Published in The Express Tribune, August 28th, 2022.
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