Written by Aayan Javed
Recently, Pakistan was hit by one of the disastrous water havoc. Around 33 million people, including approximately 16 million children, have been affected by this year’s heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan, which have brought devastating rains, floods and landslides. More than 7.9 million people have been temporarily displaced and are in need of assistance. Unprecedented floods that have submerged huge swathes of Pakistan have killed nearly 1,500 people.
Floods have become a yearly routine . So we as a state must be concerned why so? The catastrophe is most likely the result of a lethal combination of factors including the vulnerability of poor citizens, steep mountainous slopes in some regions, the unexpected destruction of embankments and dams but above all the most critical factor is climate change as global temperature rises it causes more water to evaporate from the land and oceans and melting of glaciers and ice caps, changes in the size and frequency of heavy precipitation events and continuous melting may in turn affect the size and frequency of river flooding .
Climate change was observed in most areas of Pakistan where the country experienced above-average rainfall compared to the past Monsoon season. The vast difference in average rainfall as compared to the previous year is concerning. The nation experienced rainfall in August on average of about 166.8 mm, compared to 48 mm on average in August of the previous year.
Floods can be prevented by taking effective steps such as:
- Planting trees
- Prompt Storm Drain Cleaning
- Construction of Dams
- Integrated river basin approach
- Public awareness, public participation and insurance
- Research, education and exchange of knowledge
- Retention of water and non-structural measures
- Land use, zoning and risk assessment
- Structural measures and their impact
- Flood emergency
- Prevention of pollution.
