Between drought and deluge

Unfortunately, government is not showing urgency needed to face climate threat

By Editorial Board
January 23, 2025
Children sit on a boat in the midst of a dry lake. — AFP/File

Weather in Pakistan usually escalates between two extremes. We either have apocalyptic floods that sweep away crops and cause large-scale devastation or we have long spells of ‘taps have run dry’ situations where there is no rainfall for extended periods, leading to dry vegetation and acute water shortages. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has once again issued an advisory highlighting rainfall deficits and the potential for escalating drought severity. According to the PMD, between September 1, 2024 and January 15, 2025, Pakistan recorded a below-normal rainfall deficit of 40 per cent, with Sindh experiencing a shortfall of 52 per cent, Balochistan 45 per cent and Punjab 42 per cent. The department has painted a rather dismal picture for the coming months, forecasting low rainfall. Pakistan is an agricultural country, and low rainfall here means huge crop losses. This causes imbalance as the country is then forced to import essential crops, while simultaneously losing its share in the international exports market. Dry vegetation is also at risk of catching fire; let’s not forget the Los Angeles fires where dry weather conditions acted as a catalyst.

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Dry weather conditions are not new. In 2022, right before the flash floods, several mountainous regions in the country caught fire that took days to die down. It is rather frustrating to see how climate change becomes a top agenda for the government only when it is time to attend global climate conferences. Since 2022, Pakistan has put all its energy on convincing disinterested rich nations to contribute, in the form of grants, to rebuilding developing countries affected by climate change. While this conversation is important, it is equally necessary for the government to see the climate challenge as its top priority. Unfortunately, the government is not showing the urgency needed to face the climate threat.

In a world where technological advancements have been remarkable, the government must use tech, wherever it can, to help facilitate farmers and agriculturalists to figure out a way to deal with climate challenges. Timely weather predictions could allow farmers to take timely decisions regarding their crops and minimise losses. Similarly, water reservoirs should be set up to prevent the waste of rainwater and to store water for the proverbial ‘rainless’ rainy days. Since the government continues to ignore these warning signs, it wilfully makes a condition where people are forced to leave their homes and move to already crowded urban cities, making it even difficult for authorities to tackle issues like affordable housing, availability of utilities, etc. Climate change is not a one-time event. Conditions like heavy rainfall may be a more prominent feature of changing climatic conditions, but there are hidden factors like prolonged droughts and water shortages that require equal attention of authorities. Once alarm bells are raised by government organisations (in this case the PMD), the government should get straight to action and do all it could to minimise the potential losses, instead of waiting for a tragedy to occur and do things on an emergency basis. This is the only way forward.

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