Averting disaster

With the help of the Japanese government and Unesco, Pakistan is preparing itself to better predict and manage the annual floods it has been experiencing for the past few years. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) and the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources are establishing an early flood warning system that will help determine the propensity and intensity of flooding so as to take preventative measures in advance. This is a rare display of prudence by a state department but it is nonetheless commendable as the cycles of annual flooding, despite their predictability at this point, have caused unimaginable destruction to homes and lives as well as usurped funds that the country does not have to spare.

The annual disaster cycles in the country have impinged upon development, because where funds could have been applied to other sectors such as education, health, or urban development, these unexpected catastrophes have drained those resources. The first major flood arrived in 2010; gratefully, seven years later, we might have taken our first significant step towards mitigating damage that previously affected 30 million people and consumed $14 billion. Despite these high costs, support by the government for the PMD is negligible. The leadership remains disconnected from these tragedies, most likely because it cannot relate to the victims. Considering the Global Climate Risk Index, in which Pakistan is one of the top ten countries of those most affected by extreme weather events, it may be time to rethink priorities. Droughts, famines, earthquakes and floods have all been experienced in the country within the last decade. In the 2016 monsoon season, the PMD reported a 25 per cent increase in rains. Predictability is the first step, but disaster preparedness is the next, which requires the authorities to warn and safeguard residents before a calamity strikes.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2017.

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