By Mariyam Suleman Anees

In May this year, weeks before one of history’s heaviest downpours hit Pakistan, Lt. Gen. Akhtar Nawaz, the chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), addressed the 7th session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Bali, Indonesia. During the session, Nawaz assured the audience that Pakistan had filled the gaps in its capacities since the Kashmir Earthquake of 2005 and the devastating floods that have occurred several times since. “Pakistan had made ‘significant progress since then,” he said.

This progress, as per the NDMA’ chairman’s statement, included national frameworks, policies, plans, guidelines, and risk assessments, as well as well-stocked warehouses for emergencies and revised building codes specially formulated for disaster preparedness and resilience. “All these were done keeping the earlier experiences in mind,” he repeated.

Yet, when rains in June-September began to inundate villages, logistically the country was hardly prepared. It took at least two months for Pakistan to accept the scale of the destruction and loss. Even still, in the aftermath of the disaster there was hardly any emphasis on the country’s total lack of preparation.

The Timeline of Destruction

When the government issued an alert declaring this year’s floods a “national emergency,” it was already too late. Millions had been affected, more than a thousand people had already lost their lives, hundreds of bridges had collapsed and thousands of kilometers of road has been completely washed away, making it almost impossible for millions of people to receive any kind of support.

“Initially, we hardly had access to the affected villages, but we somehow managed to reach to several villages where I met many families that had lost everything,” said Hafsa Qadir Roonjah, a volunteer with the WANG organization actively working with the relief efforts. “These villages hardly had any pakka [concrete] houses before, let alone houses with any building codes, they had no electric supply and no access to information whatsoever.”

Having no early warning system, Hafsa added, “People only left their homes when the water had already entered. But they had nowhere to go and were left stranded under pouring down rain with no roof over their head.”

The NDMA published its first report on the flooding in the last week of June. By then, many had already lost their lives, hundreds of houses had been destroyed, and the collapse of several bridges had made it difficult to get to some of the most vulnerable villages across the country. And this was just the beginning of a massive wave of devastation.

Within a month, as per the NDMA, more than 300 people had lost their lives. Three in every ten deaths occurred in Balochistan, Pakistan’s poorest province, and two in every ten in Sindh. Thousands of people had lost a roof over their head amid continuous rains. Six major rivers across the country had overflown and were expected to cause even more damage.

“The most affected are the poorest population of Pakistan, They already did not have much; the floods made things worse for them and exposed the extreme poverty people have been living in,” Jalila Haidar, a lawyer and activist volunteering for the relief work, told The Diplomat.

By August, almost 3,000 kilometers of road and hundreds of bridges had been washed away. More than 40,000 houses had been affected. As of October 19, these numbers have increased further still. More than 13,000 kilometers of roads have now been destroyed, more than 2 million houses affected, and nearly 2,000 people killed. With one-third of the country under water, water-borne diseases are now making the situation even worse.

Past Experiences with No Lessons Learned

Despite the heavy toll, there are fears that Pakistan and the world will soon forget this humanitarian crisis, like many of its kind before have been forgotten. This fear is not without basis. As per government data, since 1950 Pakistan has been no stranger to intense floods. The last 17 years have been some of the most difficult for the country when it comes to natural disasters, including the 2005 earthquake and the floods of 2010, 2011, and 2012. Almost half of the total deaths caused by floods in Pakistan since 1950 came between 2010 and 2022.

After the 2010 floods, the government of Pakistan and several international organizations conducted studies and published many reports about the country’s experience, risk, and vulnerabilities. It was then that the country established the NDMA at the federal level and a Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in each of province for early preparedness and minimizing loss.

In the following years, several policies were developed to reduce risks. One example was the National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy of 2013, which focused on “advocating a management approach that focuses on reducing risks and loss.” Given the increase in the number of unpredictable extreme weather events, the country also formed a Ministry of Climate Change in 2017.

Despite the fact that Pakistan among the 10 countries at the highest risk of natural disasters, as per the World Risk Index, all the institutions, policies, plans, and strategies put in place to cope with emergencies are merely limited to paper. In a practical sense, the country has never taken disaster management as a serious matter. There is hardly any work done on improving the institutions that work on disaster management.

“There has to be political interest for any field to be taken seriously, be that disaster management or any other. Here, political interest is aligned with hard infrastructure; roads, buildings, as these are tangible and noticeable,” explained Rafiuallah Kakar, a public policy and development specialist from Balochistan, “It is easier to get votes on that basis. Secondly, these bring large commissions and kickbacks.”

Kakar continued: “For disaster management, lack of technical capacity is just one problem. Primarily political interest is just not aligned with it. There is no such demand for disaster management, and no organized media advocacy around it from civil society. Unless there is a disaster, no one even remembers to write, talk, or work on it.”

This is well evident. Reports on Pakistan’s lack of disaster preparedness – including this one – only started to pour in after the floods hit.

“A participatory approach for better disaster management is crucial,” said Pazeer Ahmed, a geologist and researcher. “Pakistan has a very diverse landscape, which requires different planning in different regions. Therefore along with investing and focusing on research and policies, disaster-resilient infrastructure is an important aspect to minimize risks for the future.”

The Climate Crisis and Justice

Where a weak management system, under-preparedness, and doing little to prevent losses has worsened the situation, Pakistan’s grievances over the climate crisis are legitimate. According to a report by the World Bank, with the ongoing climate crisis, Pakistan will likely have an increased number of Extreme River and coastal floods in the next few decades.

However, the advocacy around climate justice – the argument that the developed nations contributed the most to the heat-trapping emissions and thus these richer nations should pay the developing world for climate damage – is a very new phenomenon in Pakistan. Not that it was not talked about before, but it is only after the recent floods that politicians, the media, and activists have collectively spoken out against climate injustice. As with attention to disaster preparedness, the fear is that this discourse will fade away over time.

In 2009, the developed countries set a target to provide $100 billion as climate finance annually to the developing world. As of yet, the target has gone unmet.

In a country with the world’s fifth-largest population, already struggling with spiking inflation, mounting international debt, and an unstable political situation, the damages caused by the climate crisis are a much larger challenge for Pakistan to figure out on its own. Yet the country’s recent appeals for help have not had the desired response, with the United Nations declaring as of October 12 that it had only received $90 million of the $816 million it requested to help assist Pakistan’s flood recovery efforts.

“We are responding with what we have, but it is not enough. We appeal to the world: Please speed up the response,” the U.N. said in a statement, emphasizing the urgent need for immediate action.

Though some humanitarian relief did arrive, the damage caused to the infrastructure defies a short-term fix. With damage or outright destruction to millions of houses and shops, hundreds of bridges, and thousands of kilometers of roads, as well as agricultural land, schools, and hospitals, it is very hard to predict if Pakistan will be able to rebuild its lost infrastructure in this decade.

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Mariyam Suleman Anees is a development specialist and a freelance writer from Gwadar. She tweets at @mariyamsuleman

Courtesy: The Diplomat (Published on October 20, 2022)

The post The Anatomy of Pakistan’s 2022 Floods first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Pakistan is not one of the largest countries in the world – it doesn’t rank in the top 10 by landmass – and yet it has the fifth largest population in the world. There are more than 220,000,000 people living in the country, although due to the high refugee rate from neighboring countries such as Afghanistan, the actual number of people living in Pakistan could be much higher

Despite its large population and reputation as one of the fastest urbanizing countries in South Asia, it is not a rich country. It’s clear from the fact that around 35% of the entire population (77,000,000 people) are living below the poverty line, with many of them unable to support their own basic needs. It’s estimated that there are around 20 million homeless people in Pakistan. That’s around 9% of the total population. Most of them are living in temporary accommodation, refuges, slums, or on the street. In fact, over 40% of the population of Karachi, Pakistan’s financial capital city, are living in slums. That’s approximately 5.9 million people. In addition to that, around 200,000 people are thought to sleep on the streets.

With limited access to education, the chances of finding a skilled, well-paying job are low. This further perpetuates the risk of living in poverty, especially if the male bread-earner dies and leaves his family destitute as is so often the case.

Pakistan is a country that is particularly prone to natural disasters and the effects of climate change. With ongoing droughts, cyclones, floods, and rising temperatures, millions more could lose their homes; especially those who live in slums and unstable housing.

For those who are living on the streets, their chances of survival in intense summer heat and sweeping cyclones is low, making it all the more important we get vulnerable people into suitable housing where they can protect themselves from the increasingly more volatile elements.

The government in Pakistan had announced a shelter initiative to build homes for those without one, but due to the pandemic, and later the torrential rains and floods, the project is yet to come into fruition. It could be years before the project is launched, by which time millions more will find themselves without a home, as has happened owing to recent unprecedented monsoon rains that collapsed tens of thousands of houses in Sindh and Balochistan.

Bisma Narejo

Karachi Sindh

The post Pakistan and the issue of ‘Homelessness’ first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Meher Noshriwani

Climate Change is a global challenge and the nexus between Gender and Climate Change is still being explored. Within the discourse of gender and climate change over the last 20 years the linkages between women and environment have changed considerably with climate change emphasizing all the environmental issues of the last two decades, and simultaneously the relationships between men and women have become increasingly complex. As global climatic conditions change, its impact on people and the way in which they adapt and cope with these changes have specific gender dimensions, which need to be understood at the local level. It has now been recognized that women are the managers of the natural resource by virtue of being primarily responsible for the household, and that environmental degradation has a direct impact on women. Over the last two decades as the focus on women within the environmental arena has grown, gender has been incorporated into national policies, project planning and development issues. And as the focus changed from Women in Development (WID) to Gender and Development (GAD) and more emphasis was placed on recognizing women’s role in all sectors, a greater understanding of women’s relationship with the natural resource, and within the debate on sustainable development has been developed.

However, the complex relationship between women and climate change is still being explored. Existing studies and research on gender and environment have focused on specific issues such as gender roles in water management, forests etc. but the analytical frameworks to understand the nexus between gender and climate change are still limited. Policy measurers at global and national level have recently recognized that gender equality is essential to achieving climate change goals. And since 2008, several references to gender have entered the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiation text. It is also argued that although climate change affects everyone, it is not gender neutral, since the majority of the poor in the world are women, the impact of climate change is more severe for women than men. So because the impact of climate change on men and women is different, a gender equality perspective is essential for policy, and for strategies of adaptation and mitigation. In this context, women should also be seen as “powerful agents of change” whose participation in planning processes is necessary if the impact of climate change is to be addressed. Thus, women’s issues and problems at the local level must be considered in the wider context of women’s empowerment, their social status, access to resources and opportunities, control over assets, and their social vulnerability, to understand the relationship between gender and climate change.

In Pakistan, the effects of climate change are being felt in many parts of the country, particularly in the rural areas, and along the coast, where the vulnerability of poor communities is increasing and women in particular have to deal with the impact of a rapidly changing climate. Access to food, water and the depleting natural resource has led to a deterioration in the quality of life and a loss of livelihoods.

In 2014, the Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC) conducted a Research study to investigate gender dimensions of social vulnerability to climate change among rural communities, and to assess the adaptive capacity of men and women at community level and the social capital available to them.   Focus Group Discussions were conducted with men and women in four districts of Sindh, and as part of a team of researchers conducting this research, in June 2014, with temperatures at almost 50 degrees Celsius, and fearing a real possibility of heatstroke, I remember concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other to reach the hut in the distance, in the sandy desert of Tharparkar located in the Thar desert which lies on the eastern border of Sindh, where a Focus Group Discussion with women was being conducted.

There were about ten women in a thatched hut sitting in a circle, who spoke about the extreme heat, changing weather patterns, and compared the rain cycle in the past when the rain was regular, and they could depend on it, to the present when the rainfall is irregular, and accompanied with high winds. The women told us that it had rained earlier that summer, and some weeks ago there were heavy rains with hailstones, an unusual event and high winds, which affected their crops and damaged the land. They also said that the intensity of heat in summer and the cold in winter had increased, and these women perceived climate in terms of changes in weather. To them winter or summer, heat or cold, rainfall, drought, or high winds the weather they experienced and lived on a daily basis was their climate.

As the women spoke, some of them entered the hut or left the group depending on the time they could spare to share their perceptions about climate change with us. I admired their resilience to carry on tending to livestock, and caring for their children in this extreme heat. I hesitantly took out a bottle of water to sip and prevent dehydration, when one woman looked at me and asked; sweet water?

Tharparkar experiences drought every year, and every drop of water is precious. And yet, these men and women cope and adapt to changes in the weather they cannot understand, and have no control over, but have to find ways to survive in conditions which are becoming more severe each year. Climate change was also perceived as changes in seasons, such as summer and winter whose duration has also changed. The summer had become extremely hot, with high rises in temperature, and the winter was not as cold as it was 20 years ago, but its duration has increased. According to one woman:

“Now the winter months last till February, and as a result spring arrives later, and in the intense heat it is very difficult to work, especially since each year the temperature continues to rise. We have no electricity, and there is an acute water shortage. We feel sick, drowsy, and uncomfortable, but we have to carry on with our daily domestic work, despite the heat.”

This rise in temperature and shifting seasons should also be viewed as factors that increase the vulnerability of a community. Temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius, are extremely harsh and cause great discomfort and distress to the villagers. Seasonal changes also means a disruption in familiar routines, and for the women in particular this means coping with environmental changes without knowledge, information or support to deal with these new conditions.

As stated in a recent report, ‘’ as global average temperatures rise, scientific models indicate that human society will suffer increased heat related illness and death, food insecurity, water stress and spread of infectious diseases.’’ For women this means greater responsibilities, more physical and emotional stress, which makes them more vulnerable and unable to cope with this emerging situation.  Erratic rainfall, and long periods of drought, has also led to a reduction in the biodiversity and wildlife of the area. Changes in grass cover, were also mentioned, particularly in the context of livestock, as grass is the main source of fodder for the animals.

In Dadu, another district located in the south-west of Sindh, in the field sites women were unable to recall what the climate was 20 years ago, but they did remember green and fertile fields, where wheat, and vegetables were grown, where livestock was kept by every family and water was easily available. The fact that women were unable to recall what the climate was in the past, shows how little weather affected their lives 20 years ago. There was a consistency in the seasons and the rhythm of their lives remained constant. In recent years, with the increase in frequency and intensity of natural disasters, and changing weather, the women were much more aware of changes in temperatures and rainfall. This awareness was again evident when female respondents spoke of the heavy rainfall in 2011, which destroyed their crops, and since the weather had changed to extreme heat in summer and longer winters, this had led to a change in the daily living and work patterns for both men and women. For instance, women said, that the intense heat in summer prevents them from staying outdoors for long hours, and in winter the men begin work in the fields later in the day than usual, when it becomes a bit warmer. These minor adjustments to changes in weather patterns have been made by the community in response to what they believe is necessary to cope with the unpredictable new weather patterns.

And so the story continues; once again in Badin a district located in the southern part of Sindh, the main issue raised by both male and female respondents was the increase in water logging and salinity in the last 15 years. Sea intrusion, was believed to be the main cause, which had led to the land becoming uncultivable due to water logging, saline ground water, and greater humidity in the atmosphere. All these factors led to a decrease in agriculture, and an impact on the livelihoods of the villagers. “Due to water logging, the land gives us less and has lost its strength, and the rise in sea level has raised the level of water in the wells, from 50 to 20 feet,” lamented an old woman. Sea intrusion had brought the saline water level up to a depth of 4 feet and the water is very bitter. Hence, they were unable to dig wells anymore, because with changing rainfall patterns, the ground water remained saline. According to the same old women regular rains always diluted the saline water, but now since the rains are not as frequent the salinity remained high.

No matter where we went within Sindh, the situation was the same. In Thatta, which is located about 60 miles from Karachi, the inhabitants were fishermen and completely dependent on fishing for their livelihoods, there was no alternate source of income. And with the decline in fish stocks, and unsustainable fishing practices, the livelihoods of the fishermen and women had been severely affected. In other villages, where the main occupation was livestock rearing and agriculture, livelihood patterns had changed as well. Agriculture had declined, because of saline ground water, and with the loss of crops, farmers had to search for work in factories as wage labor. Livelihood sources had changed, which demanded different skills, and often meant resorting to manual labor, or migration in search of employment.

This Research study revealed the importance of rain in the lives of the people, and how the unpredictability in rainfall patterns has led to a change in the quality of land, ground water, crop yield, and has had an impact on their livelihoods. Basically, climate change was perceived as changes in weather, and manifested in the form of changes in rainfall patterns, seasons, winds, and quality of ground water. In most cases this meant that women have to manage the scarce water resource, and walk long distances in extreme temperatures to bring water for their household needs.

One of the challenges for this Research was to distinguish between the impact of climate change, and the impact of socio-economic issues or market forces. This is where more rigorous research and evidence from the grassroots is needed, and where IUCN with its scientific and social science experts within the Commissions, can increase the understanding of the complex relationship between climate change and gender. As a male respondent from village Mondro in Tharparkar said, “at night when the stars are very bright and the sky is clear, we lose hope of any rainfall’.

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Courtesy: IUCN (Published on August 19, 2016)

The post Climate Change and its Impact on Gender in Rural areas of Sindh first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Nazeer Ahmed Arijo                  

Torrential rains and subsequent flash floods and the breaching of dams and embankments have brought disaster of biblical proportions in urban in general and rural areas of Pakistan in particular. Imagine the scale of death and destruction caused by destructive spells of rain throughout the country, recently revealed by both national and international media outlets: 10 million people are displaced; the death toll has risen to over 1300 of which over 35 percent – 453 are children. Over two hundred bridges have collapsed and around 40 dams breached. The number of flood-hit people is as high as 33 million.

Besides, 80 percent of standing crops is said to have been destroyed. The scale of destruction of infrastructure and human casualties could be much bigger as the actual damage bill and human loss could not be ascertained right now.

Political callousness

It is disappointing to note that some political characters claiming to be political messiahs were sowing the seeds of mistrust by calling on the population not to give donations to the government on customary charges of corruption and financial misappropriation. Such shameless characters were named and shamed by a cross sections of the society. After having received a robust reaction from the public over this behavior, the shallow-hearted decided to host telethon to collect donations for the rain victims. Calling the present government of ‘thieves and looters’, the organized social media campaign was launched by some unscrupulous individuals asking all and sundry not to give funds to the government. In crises like the present, political leaders all over the world unite the nation. But, in our part of the world, petty political games undermine the noble cause of standing in solidarity with the public. This political pandemic called polarization in times of catastrophic conditions unleashed by climate change is extremely upsetting. However, the damage was done. Once mistrust is cultivated, it is very difficult to wipe it out.

Humanitarian assistance from abroad

While the callousness of some national political leaders was hurting rain victims, the International Response on the back of biblical catastrophe was encouraging.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s appeal has generated about one trillion 30 billion rupees from the United Nations member countries. Earlier, the UK and the European Union pledged to provide up to £1.5., and €350,000 (nearly PKR 76 million) respectively to provide crucial humanitarian assistance.

Also, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, and China have dispatched ration bags, shelter material, and medicines to scale up immediate relief.

OIC Secretary Hussain Ibrahim appealed to the member states to help Pakistan on an emergency basis. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau expressed solidarity with Pakistan and pledged to continue to help the rain affectees through NCRF and Red Cross. President of France Emmanuel Macron said he was saddened to hear about the loss of lives and destruction caused by historic floods in Pakistan, and showed his willingness to assist Pakistan to come out of the current crisis.

Exploitation all around

Under such turbulent times, exploiters opened their wings to fleece the public already experiencing troubled times. Heavy rain on the one hand, destroyed mud-houses and huts, and on the other caused cracks in the roofs made of backed bricks ultimately dripping. With roofs dripping, the poor needed to cover those roofs with plastic to save from the seepage; realizing the demand for plastic, the shopkeepers hiked the price of the item in question – routinely it was being sold at Rs.40 per meter, but after the surge in demand, it was sold at Rs.200 to 300 per meter. Under such circumstances, the price of plastic Tarpaulin skyrocketed, too. On the heels of humanitarian crises, the government decided to disburse BISP cash of Rs.2500O among the beneficiaries; in Sindh unscrupulous individuals distributing this cash, started deducting Rs.2000 to 3000. This financial fraud has hit headlines in provincial newspapers.

It tells a tale of the historical exploitation of the vulnerable sections and the failure of the state authorities to clip the wings of predators.

Back-breaking inflation

The prices of vegetables on the heels of torrential rains were hiked suggesting the usual hoarding and black-marketing in times of natural calamity. Before rain emergency, the potatoes and onions were being sold at Rs.40 and 80 respectively. After rain emergency, the two items are being sold at Rs.80 and 200 to 300 respectively- not to mention tomato, which has become a luxury item in flood situation .This August inflation rose to staggering 27.26 percent, which was the second highest figure recorded in the country’s history after 1973-74.The point to be noted is that the public were already facing tsunami of inflation following Russia–Ukraine war that had fuelled price of cooking oil and other edible items. Given rising inflation, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned of protests and instability in Pakistan. The warning given by the Fund carries weight as the already burdened ordinary are burdened with prices of food items that have spiked at breakneck speed.

Cut to the quick                                                                                                

Twitters spaces are being hosted to highlight the horrors of ongoing natural calamity by various individuals. I have been actively participating and giving my input on topics ranging from public donations to relief, rescue, and rehabilitation. Recently I was cut to the quick after having listened to a certain speaker. A lady expressed that a financial package of Rs.25000 announced by the government for the rain-affected people was a lottery. When it was my turn to speak, I expressed my utter displeasure over such remarks devoid of ground realities. A person, who has lost his home, standing crops, and livestock following the outbreak of animal disease, how was it that the meager amount of Rs.25000 was a lottery for him?

Food crises loom large

It is said that aftershocks of volcanoes are more destructive. Likewise, the unfolding current crises emanating from recent rain emergency, paints the same picture.

According to Development and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, half of the country’s cotton crop has been washed away and vegetables, fruit, and rice fields have sustainable significant damage. This will usher in food shortages ultimately compelling the incumbent government to give a go-ahead for the import of grains, vegetables and fruits, etc. It will increase our import bill and subsequently negatively impact the already fragile economy. Federal Finance Miftah Ismail recently remarked that “government can consider importing vegetables, other edible items from India to facilitate people after the destruction of standing crops in Pakistan.

Let us not forget that Sindh and Balochistan – which were already facing a food crisis, are the worst victims of recent rains and floods. Dawn editorial “Disaster and Diet (30 August) reads that “According to the IPC Acute Food Insecurity Analysis, 2021-2022, due to the increasing intensity and length of recurring heatwaves in the region, high food and fuel prices, disease outbreak and pandemic shocks. The report described both provinces as having a “high prevalence of food insecurity, malnutrition, and poverty” while calling for “urgent action” by the relevant stakeholders”. The World Health Organization (WHO) has convincingly conveyed its concern saying that “The current flood situation will highly likely increase the spread of disease, especially if and when response capacities are hindered”. Medical experts rang alarm bell having declared that around 5 million feared to be sick due to disease outbreak in next twelve weeks in flooded areas. They are likely to be infected with diarrhea, cholera, gastroenteritis, typhoid, dengue and malaria; outbreak would require Rs.1 billion in supplies. To save the flood-hit people from viral infections, situation calls for concrete efforts in terms of ensuring clean drinking water and hygienic living conditions. According to figures made available by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), more than half a million pregnant women are flood-hit and in dire need of medical supplements and dietary care. WHO Pakistan pointed out that damages have occurred to over 1640 health facilities and installations across the country of which 432 were fully damaged. This will hinder medical relief needed in flood environment.

The current academic year is in jeopardy

The rain affected people have taken shelter in government schools and colleges. It, thus, will negatively impact the current academic year of the learners. It is unlikely that those who have taken shelter in public sector schools and colleges will vacate until they are offered alternatives- accommodation. Given the magnitude of displacement and scanty resources of the government, rehabilitation of those rain victims seems beyond the reach of the state. Worryingly, the displaced and those who migrated to urban areas will find it difficult to educate their children following financial constraints emanating from loss of livelihood. The possibility of some children becoming breadwinners cannot be ruled out. Some others might fall prey to professional beggar groups. Moral decay can be gauged from that a Hindu girl was recently gang-raped in Sindh’s District Sanghar after being promised relief goods.

The 2010 flood brought in wake cruel activity of coaxing small angels into beggary by the criminals in question. It is to be kept in mind that education received severe setbacks for two years following covidised environment and subsequent closure of educational institutions in the country. And, it has to be kept in mind that when students attend their classes throughout the year, their leaning outcomes have been deeply disappointing due to plethora of problems known to everyone. The closure of educational institutions compromise the already compromised standard of education. Save the Children, a UK- based organization in its recent report revealed that over 18,500 educational institutes have sustained partial damage or have been completely destroyed due to abnormal monsoon rainfall. The organization’s Country Director for Pakistan, Khuram Gondal said, “The scale of damage we are seeing will prevent thousands of children from going back to school any time soon. We have seen entire buildings completely washed away. Children already battling the shock and horror of what is happening around them, now also have to cope with loss of their classrooms and their safe place to learn. We know from experience that it takes time to repair schools, and many of these children have already missed months of education already because of COVID-19.We are calling donors around the world to recognize the entire terrible situation in Pakistan and gig deep to help children. Beyond immediate life-saving supplies like shelters, food, and water, we also need to establish emergency schools where children can go, be safe, and learn. Schools are vital for both children’s future and their current well-being”.

Passing the buck

Political pattern cultivated over the years by the governments -both past and present and the clergy class -is blaming Nature’s fury, and sins committed culminating in catastrophe respectively. The present government has been feeding the population that climate change triggered heavy rains as a result of which the country saw a crisis of unimaginable proportions. However, what will the federal and provincial governments say about their failure to minimize the damages by prioritizing foolproof measures to warn the population and evacuate the same? What will the governments-federal and provincial say about their imprudent steps of allowing infrastructures that have blocked waterways and routes of flooding water? What will the governments say about poor- house planning? What will the governments say about encroachment upon banks of rivers and drains? What will they say about choked drains? And last but not the least, what will ruling elites say about their failure to devolve National Disaster Management Authority into (NDMA), Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA)?

The Met office had predicted torrential rains much earlier. Why were the dams not emptied when there was an acute shortage of water for agricultural purposes? What have the successive governments done to contain climate crises in the country? These questions demand answers.

And some religious leaders have attributed the death and destruction caused by natural calamity to sins committed by people. Who lost lives, homes, livestock, and livelihoods? It is the ordinary who have been hit hard. Are the ordinary only sinners?

What will the religious leaders say about political sins, and managerial and institutional sins committed by successive ruling elites ultimately failing to undermine the fury of floods and ravages of rains? What the ruling and religious elites need to realize is that the world is using scientific methods to make it rain where it is needed; we are far behind when it comes to using technology and modern methods.

“Cloud seeding is a scientific process that improves a cloud’s ability to make rain or snow, as well as control other weather events. The technique, which experts also call weather modification, can help in areas that don’t have a big enough supply of natural water. After cloud seeding, precipitation (rain or snow) will fall from the clouds onto the ground”. Flood relief fails reach remote areas. The reasons being both the state lacks mechanism and material resources to reach those areas. And the concentration of NGOs is limited to cities and towns. As a result, rain-flood afectees in far flung areas are waiting for messiahs who could rescue them and offer shelter materials and food. Even those living in tents and relief camps have been complaining of inadequate food delivery. Blame must be put at the door of those who have successively prioritized a political structure that feeds and facilitates the minority leaving the vast majority to fend for themselves. Because of unequal distribution of wealth, today the poor are getting poorer, and the rich richer. The former are living in slums, that too, in vulnerable areas, and the latter are living in protected and posh areas of the country.

An obvious issue no one is talking about is our failure to adapt and poor housing planning, and to top it all, no lesson learning from previous disasters. This failure has exacerbated crises that we are presently grappling with. Nations in other parts of the world learn and move forward planning and implementing policies to mitigate calamities. Heart-rending images of people stranded have appeared on social media networking sites. Climate change and development expert, Ali Shaikh is of the opinion that what we see today is just a trailer of what is in store for us-poverty, hunger, malnutrition and disease if we don’t pay heed to climate change. Climate refuges are coping with crises –hopelessness, hunger diseases, and psychological trauma triggered by the terrible monsoon rainfall.

To move forward, Pakistan needs climate resilience – pre-disaster planning rather than post-disaster management. Because, the country lacks mechanism, capacity, and capital needed to navigate the populace from jaws of floods unleashed by monsoon. The present “monsoon rains on steroids” have left us hardly with dry land to pump the water out. If early warnings of climate change fell on deaf ears, the next one could be crueler.

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Nazeer Ahmed Arijo is a freelance contributor. nazeerarijo@gmail.com      

The post Nature’s Fury: The way forward is climate resilience first appeared on Sindh Courier.

The rainfall helps set mosquitoes up to thrive. Wet weather conditions give mosquitoes bountiful opportunities to find standing water to lay their eggs on. When warm weather follows the rain, mosquitoes are able to proliferate even more rapidly. In view of ongoing monsoon rains in Sindh and other parts of country, the outbreak of Malaria, Dengue and Chikungunya is feared. Several cases of Dengue have already been reported in Karachi. It is therefore necessary for all of us to take precautionary measures.

Malaria, dengue and chikungunya – all three viruses spread by mosquitoes are similar that it can be quite difficult to identify them for sure without laboratory testing. But it is important to find out what the exact diseases is for it to be properly treated. Let us try and understand something about the causes, signs and symptoms, similarities and difference, and the prevention of these diseases.

Causes of Malaria: Malaria is caused by plasmodium, a single-celled parasite often transmitted by infected mosquitoes which can lead to stoppage of blood flow to the brain causing cerebral malaria.

Signs and symptoms: Malaria is recognized through high fever. Temperature may reach as high as 40c (104f). Fever is often accompanied by chills, and may also include sweating.

Causes of Dengue: There are four types of dengue viruses, all of which are spread by mosquitoes. An infected mosquito spreads the virus through its saliva when it bites. Dengue can also be transmitted from one human to another.

Signs and symptoms: High fever is followed by sever body pain. Patients may also feel respiratory difficulty and intense headache.

Causes of Chikungunya: This virus is also transmitted through mosquitoes. These mosquitoes live and breed near stagnant or polluted water. Although the diseases is not contagious it can spread from an infected person to other if the mosquitoes feed on the infected person first and then bites other people.

Signs and symptoms: The diseases is rarely in the system as the virus remains in the system for 5-7 days. Once one recovers from this infected, one is immune to it for the rest of life.

Prevention: There are no vaccines or medical ways to prevent these diseases. Here are a few useful suggestions for protecting oneself from these diseases.

• Wear clothes that will keep you fully covered.
• Live in hygienic surroundings.
• All these diseases that is malaria, dengue and chikungunya affect a person’s health. If we observe symptoms of these diseases, the earlier they are treated the quicker is the recovery.

Khushboo Samo

Karachi, Sindh

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Sindh Courier

Kotdiji, Khairpur, Sindh

The torrential rains that had been lashing entire Sindh for two months, have also badly affected more than a dozen villages of Union Council Naseer Faqir Jalalani in Taluka Kotdiji, District Khairpur, where no government machinery has so far reached and a large number of villagers are trapped in marooned villages while others are migrating to safer places.

The affected villages are Atta Muhammad Bhanbhro. Karim Bukhsh Bhanbhro. Ratal Shaheed, Naseer Faqir Jalalani. Bukhshal Khan Burdi. Talpur Nandha, Muhammad Ratal Mallah, Noor Bozdar, Ghulam Muhammad Burdi, Sadiq Solangi, Bago Daro Panhyar, Nazar Muhammad Panhya, Dahar, Muhammad Bukhsh Bhanbhro, Darhoon Khan Bhanbhro, Shamsabad Mallah, Mahi Khan Muhdsni, Ali Nawaz Dasti, Dost Muhammad Mumdani, Faiz Muhammad Luhrani, Muhammad Soomar Mallah, Fazal Muhammad Mallah, Khairpur ji Khohi and some other villages.

Mr. Bashir Ahmed Mallah, member-elect, of District Council, told Sindh Courier on phone that since the start of first monsoon rain spell in first week of July, they had been constantly informing the district administration and the MNA and MPA of the area but with no response. “Consequently, the male and female volunteers from different villages started rescue and relief work that includes distribution of cooked and uncooked stuff and evacuation of stranded villagers using the tractors,” he told.

According to Mr. Mallah, the government didn’t provide even the motor pumps for draining out rain water from villages. “The villagers are in dire need of tents, ration, medicines etc.”

He told that more than one hundred families were shifted to safer places on Saturday and the shifting still continues.

Mr. Bashir Mallah said that village Naseer Faqir Jalalani and the nearby shrine of Naseer Faqir are completely under water due to breach in Karti Mud Dam due to heavy rains.

Mr. Mallah also shared the photos and videos of the affected villages.

Here are pictorial glimpses of rain-affected villages:

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Sindh province is facing an intense monsoon rain spell. All towns and villages are under water. Though the Pakistan Meteorological Department had warned and alerted the Sindh government regarding the expected monsoon rain spells to happen on the expected dates, the Sindh governments disregarded the warnings. The Sindh government has failed to take reasonable measures to tackle the monsoon spell. Local governments, national and provincial disaster management authorities were also absent.

Sindh government found reticent in taking steps to reduce the problems. People, in Sindh, had been left to mercy of God during such a heavy rain. They have been deserted in the time of need. The people of Sindh almost depend on agriculture. Their crops have been destroyed in rain. They are left with nothing to shelter themselves and are looking for food and other basic things they need.

Even in big cities no satisfactory steps were seen to restore the normal daily life in the proper way. Roads and streets are filled with rainy water. No machinery is provided by the local government to clear the roads and remove the water from streets to make the life of people smooth to get on with their work.

Widespread damage due to heavy rain has aggravated the conditions of the people. Low supply of vegetables and fruits have raised the price of edible things. Inflation and the monsoon spell have troubled the poor and middle class with no end visible.

PPP’s government in Sindh, which has been in power since the last fifteen years, has multiplied the miseries of the people. Infrastructure in cities and standing crops and houses in villages have been severely damaged so the Sindh government must announce a relief package for the poor.

Fawad Hussain Samo

Hyderabad Sindh

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In fact, the rain has exposed our poverty – material poverty, cultural poverty, even poverty to think and act.

Dr. Zaffar Junejo

Nothing is wrong with rain. It is the Pakistan Peoples Party’s criminal governance that has created an emergency. Let us forget big debates for a while, and allow me to reproduce some entries from my ‘Flood-Notebook, 2010.’  These are selected entries, which only talk about material possessions at household level. Regarding, flood 2022, I asked my friends to send me photos of 2022 rains. I compared the contents of my notebook (2010), and photos of 2022.  I found nothing new – our material status was same, what I observed 11 years ago. Now let us go orderly, first read entries, then comments on photos.

FLOOD-NOTEBOOK, 2010

Johi Bund: Our emergency team reported that a considerable number of families are still estranged in flood water. Considering the emergency, we started rescue operation. With a record time, fifty families were saved, and they were settled over the embankment (new bridge, Johi). I looked at the staff’s prepared list of rescued families’ valuable items. I was shocked to read. The most common items were:  ‘some faded rilis, different sizes of cooking pots, pairs of used clothes, goats and wooden cots. Another observation states: ‘their homes consist of two to three rooms, the majority of houses are Katcha, made of mud-bricks. Some houses’ foundations were made of kiln bricks, and all houses were partially damaged.’

Jhalo/Dadu-Moro Bridge: Through media reports we learned that some villages near Dadu-Moro Bridge over Indus River are under water. We went there and rescued 14 families. We settled them in New Sabzi Mandi Camp. All of them were poor. As usual, I read the list of items. It mentioned: cooking pots, plates, faded clothes, rilis, tin-boxes, some copies of Holy Quran and three old copies of Noornamo.

Gozo/ K.N. Shah: Dadu office reported that around Gozo, some villages need dry ration. Immediately, we went there. I observed: ‘there was abject poverty, women were weak, their clothes were dirty, and almost half the population was ill. We convinced them to leave the place. But, they insisted to live in their environment. We handed them edible items. Meanwhile, I observed: people and animal live in a same place, women looked old; their ages were not matching with entries of National Identity Cards. I also noted that two families lived in to two room-houses. It means, around 16-20 family members of all ages were packed into two-rooms (The maximum size of each room was of 14 fee x 16 feet).

Amri: Sehwan office started operation in Amri area. I went there, along with senior staff.  We inspected medical camp. Our next task was a survey of adjacent camp. We did it. The entry shows: ‘cooking pots, goats, some rilis, old clothes, cots, few cows, tin-boxes of various sizes and buffalos. It adds: ‘houses were Katcha. Almost all houses were cracked. The women were weak. The majority of them were mothers of 4 to 5 children. The young girls looked pale, and old women seemed bunches of bones.’

 FLOOD-PHOTOS, 2022

Presently, I am out of the field. Therefore, I asked my friends to send me photos of physical damages. In all photos, I saw:  ‘faded rilis, tin-boxes, broken cots, some pairs of ladies’ dresses, non-plastered narrow houses.’ At a human level I witnessed:  ‘middle aged women appeared like a frame of bare bones, pale young girls, and old ones were confused. I attempted to decipher their silences. I found: ‘they were bursting frame of suppressed anger, helplessness, and annoyance.’

I observed the same situation in 2010. Honestly, at that time I expected behavioral change, a minimum expectation. But I was wrong. At least my notebook entry also says so – it reads: ‘nature pushed rural people to think differently, ponder over the causes of their sufferings, and define new terms with political parties.’  Another entry states: ‘Kotri Camp leaders invited us to attend the function, they arranged in honor of their Sardar/MNA/MPA. I attended, and found that camp people were happy, they took all measures to make their Sardars/MNA/MPA happy.  I was surprised, when they presented ‘cash-garlands’ to their Sardars/ representatives. The last line of same entry tells: ‘they were clever people. They have learned survival art- in absence they abuse Sardars, and in their presence praise them.’

I think present suffering will never change Sindhi people. They will continue with the same survival trick. Perhaps, I am pessimistic. Therefore, I think bleak. Okay, let them choose their destinations. But, I think, ‘why rural people suffer or volunteer to be suffered?’ It is a multi-disciplinary task. But my old notebooks gave some clues that people suffer due to: 1) The nature of human settlements, 2) limited livelihood options, 3) avoid questioning, 4) traditional marriage patterns, 5) unhealthy socio-political and cultural relationships, 6) live in past/ inactive mental-frame, 7) non-futuristic vision, 8) poetic and fluid demands, 9) no sense of urgency, 10) avoid confrontation.

I am not sure, but I think my observations are still relevant. And I doubt that situation would alter peoples’ attitude. They would act same what, the people of Kotri Camp did 11 years ago– abuse the power groups in their absence and sing, dance, and celebrate in their presence.

Let me hold that broader discussion for a while and be thankful to rain. I say so, because it exposed our poverty – material poverty, cultural poverty, even poverty to think and act. Allow me to insult your ego, and remind you that common handy property of rural Sindh is faded reels, old dresses, a few goats, broken cots and tin-boxes. It is a shameful state of our material wellbeing.

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Zaffar Junejo is Research Scholar, Department of History, University of Malaya, Malaysia. Mr. Junejo apart from scholarly contribution also writes for popular media. He could be accessed at: Email junejozi@gmail.com, Cell/WhatsApp +92 334 045 5333 Skype Zaffar.Junejo Facebook facebook.com/zaffar.junejo

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Karachi: In view of Meteorological Department’s prediction that Karachi is expected to receive more rainfall than usual during the upcoming monsoon season, the Security & Emergency Services Division of Sindh Police has constituted the ‘Urban Flooding Rescue Unit’.

The Urban Flooding Rescue Unit will work under the supervision of DIG Security Maqsood Ahmed to overcome any emergency or flood situation in the metropolis.

Urban Flooding Rescue Unit was recently inaugurated by Addl. IGP Karachi Imran Yaqoob Minhas. The unit comprises SSU commandos equipped with the latest rescue gadgets and small boats which will stay alert round-the-clock to respond to any situation during heavy rainfalls.

DIG Security and Emergency Services Division Maqsood Ahmed said that commandos of the Urban Flooding Rescue Unit have passed out from a lifeguard training given by the professionals.

A practical demonstration of rescuing people strangled in water was also exhibited by the unit. (PR)

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The valleys and bowls of sand abound with the red and orange flowers of Rohiro tree during February and March. It can be called ‘desert teak’ because of its solid wood.

By Noor Ahmed Janjhi

Peacocks do cry for rain as ‘come rain, come rain’ in the months of June and July. Clouds, filled with pure water start showering over Thar as the torrents of monsoon. The monsoon showers turn Thar into lush green leas and cultivated tracts. Grazing animals could be seen like flowers grown on the greenery. All of the greenery fads away by December as the harvesting come to its conclusion. And after it, grey sand dunes wear a look of dried grass or seem nude because of less vegetation. The general look of the dunes and valleys reflect a beautiful but gloomy portrait of nature. Meanwhile, a strong tree of Thar appears with colorful flowering to sooth the gloominess of the dunes and valleys during the months of February and March. The valleys and bowls of sand abound with the red and orange flowers of Rohiro tree. It can be called ‘desert teak’ because of its solid wood.

Its botanical name is tecomella undulate or tecoma undulata. It is a tree of desert and extremely resistant to drought, frost and fire. It is an ornamental tree, mostly evergreen, medium sized tree (8 m high, 0.8 m dbh)) with an open and spreading crown and deep root system.(Trees for Dry lands – editor Drake Hooking). Its bark is grey and whitish and branches are stout, smaller ones often slightly drooping. Its flowers are large and showy. The colors of flowers pale yellow, red and deep orange. Fruit is large pods containing dark brown seeds with white membrane wings. The tree is famous for its solid wood and attractive flowers. However, the flowers have no fragrance. The flowers and pods provide the good nutrition for goats and camels.

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Watch a video about Peacocks of Thar Desert

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In past it was a practice to protect this tree from cutting. People call it ‘a faqir wann’ or a saintly tree. But the practice has been ended with the passage of time. Actually, the tree penetrates its roots deeply in earth and sucks much more water and fertility, so it does not allow growing any other tree and grass or cropping under its shade or surroundings. The growth and spread of the tree increased after its cutting and make the farmland and fields de-fertile. In this people has created an indigenous protection mechanism through the attributions of sainthood and warned the tree cutting people of curse. It has been a practice after the British rule, that there was needed an official permission letter to cut the tree for domestic purpose. Strictly it was prohibited for commercial use, but the market has overthrown everything. Nowadays, these practices have been ignored. The tree provides finest timber available locally. Its yellowish brown wood is durable, nicely grained, strong and heavy.

It is used for making carvings, furniture, beds, toys, doors and windows, cots. It becomes very beautiful and shining after a good polish. Lacquer work is very much skilled production on the wood of Rohiro tree. Its wood is resistant to fungal and insect attack because of the presence of lapachol. I have observed an expert carpenter Sahoo Meghwar in my village who makes excellent items of furniture from the wood of Rohiro. Many an expert carpenters belonging to Suthar community make wonderful items from the wood of Rohiro. Their work was very much manual, skilled and qualitative. Nowadays, there is great pressure of demand and people plan for supply only. Mostly quality is not preferred. So there is a plenty of rough tough work in market. Profiteering has activated everything in hyper.

The tender bark of the tree has medicinal properties and is used in skin disease. It is also used for tanning in mixture with other species. It is a slow growing tree. However, it should be planted on the sides of roads.

The tree mostly grows wild. It is found few and far between in residential areas. The rapid cutting of this tree makes the soil sterile. Therefore, it is imperative to be careful in cutting of this tree. There should be awareness among the communities too. Tree committees of the village watch and look after the trees. They may stop the tree cutting with the support of government departments.

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About the Author

Noor Ahmed Janjhi is a senior educationist based in Desert District Tharparkar Sindh. He is author of several Sindhi and English books on folk literature including two poetry books.

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