While the flooded rivers of India and Pakistan continue to ravage and destroy everything in their path, the reaction from authorities seems to fall short on all accounts. Delayed warnings and tardy evacuations caused by technical and professional incompetence have again, led to destruction of epic proportions.
Unfortunately, many officials are still pursuing woefully inadequate disaster management practices while refusing to acknowledge the main culprit head-on: the destructive and repetitive climate change patterns in our region.
Pakistan, along with India, Afghanistan, Nepal, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, is in a region that is among the most threatened by catastrophic climate change. Sharing the world’s highest mountains from the Himalayas, the Karakoram to the Pamir and the Tian Shan ranges, this ‘Roof of the World’ is home to nearly 250 million people and 1.6 billion neighbors directly impacted downstream.
Although climate change is now a global crisis, large-scale disasters have repeatedly hit South and Central Asian. These are countries that are already crippled by overpopulation, economic breakdowns, political unrest and food insecurity, to name just a few of their problems.
The local populations, shouldering a hefty load from poverty and socioeconomic disruption, are repeatedly battered by relentless rain spells and flooding, aggravated by soil erosion and deforestation. Many endangered wildlife species in the area are equally at risk from environmental catastrophes.
These issues need to be addressed immediately before climate change becomes irreversible. While the world delays the effective reduction of carbon emissions, the international community should recognize that those who are the least responsible are paying the highest price for climate change disasters.
Advocacy platforms for the millions of people already impacted, including the Aga Khan University’s “Voices from the Roof of the World” documentary series, should be given a higher profile. The local filmmakers are at the forefront of raising the voice of the voiceless on this planet-wide climate emergency. They, along with all the impacted communities, need our encouragement and support.
Andrew Tkach
Messery, France
