Flood woes mirror man-made oversights

Recent floods in Pakistan stemmed not from rivers overflowing their natural boundaries, but from man-made infrastructural shortcomings.

Speaking at the Teachers' Resource Centre's (TRC) learning event "Empowering Educators — Leading Climate Action for Sustainable Future," climate activist Afia Salam said that climate change — a global phenomenon — is not directly causing deforestation or encroachment into river spaces; rather, it is human priorities and planning failures that exacerbate disasters. The event was held in collaboration with Community World Service Asia (CWSA).

"We have different priorities — we are not adapting to climate change in our curriculum, though we badly need it. Even in subjects like History and Islamiyat, we can discuss natural disasters and climate change," said Salam, stressing the need for curricular reforms.

Development professional Naveed Ahmed pointed out the disparity between intent and implementation, saying, "The good news is TRC has given us a curriculum, but the bad news is we do not implement it." Ahmed underscored that the prevalent teaching model is ill-equipped to address future challenges, advocating decentralisation and greater empowerment of school administrations, which are currently micromanaged by governments. "If we need change, we must empower school administrations. Then comes teacher training, pedagogy, and finance — all vital factors," he added.

Environmental entrepreneur Ahmed Shabbar linked human identity with nature, noting, "People who live in mountains are highlanders; those by the sea are coastal residents. We are part of nature, yet we ignore it in planning." Shabbar warned that neglecting nature's rhythms inevitably leads to consequences when it "claims its space."

Furthermore, Founder of Youth Parliament, Rizwan Jaffar, stressed experiential learning through travel, especially to rural areas. "Exploring nature closely fosters understanding. The world eradicated polio; we debate polio drops' safety. This reflects a trust deficit in leadership and a selfish approach — we do not care about others," he said.

The event, attended by educators and students from both public and private schools, concluded with participants pledging collective commitment to advancing climate education and action.