In view of the current global environmental turmoil and intermittent El Nino effect culminating into unexpected climate change for which the major developed countries are largely responsible with Pakistan emitting only one per cent carbon into the ozone layer, the developing countries like us are badly suffering. On our part, without active engagement for our environmental sustainability, it has become extremely important to take this seriously for our very survival.

No doubt Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol are in place at the policy level but these are of a medium- and- long-term nature and may take up to 50 years to be fully implemented for real effect. Even if these are made mandatory for all the countries, the ozone layer may take another 50 years to repair itself.

Additionally, this global warming and climate change is causing premature melting of ice in the glaciers in the northern mountains resulting in excessive flows of water now and no water after about 30 to 40 years. Drought, heat waves and uncontrolled forest fires at a massive scale, tidal waves, cyclones etc., are yet another phenomenon being observed in Canada, US, Europe, China, Indo-Pak Subcontinent and even Far East to some extent. This is quite alarming and terrifying for the worst effected country like us. The catastrophic effects of snow melt in Antarctica are already being studied by the scientists.

In the meantime, what can we do in Pakistan to mitigate the adverse effects of major disasters like floods, untimely sudden rains with hail storms, cloud bursts which badly damage our crops and property, and also destroy our infrastructure. The clear example is that of vast areas of our most productive land in our province of Sindh which are still under water after heavy rains and floods caused by climate change during last year which also badly effected southern Punjab, and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Chitral. The people whose lives were very badly affected by these rains and floods were about 3.3 million.

We must, therefore, act now and immediately and cannot afford to wait for the outcome of international agreements and their implementation, otherwise it will be too late. By mobilising our public opinion through print and electronic media, the government will be forced to take practical and concrete steps like construction of large and small dams, dykes to divert and store flood water, raising heights of embankments and bridges for roads, railways, or even their realignments, improvement of cross drainage structures, in most of the worst clearly identified vulnerable areas by aerial and ground surveys, and shifting of villages to higher ground.

To prevent sheet flows and stagnation of flood waters, training works for diverting the flood waters to the existing drainage channels and rivers will be necessary. For all this, to start with, a master plan is needed, to be prepared under the supervision of Planning division of the Pakistan government along with guess estimates and sound designs, by a competent, experienced, and a reliable consulting firm. Their execution can be phased out for completion within the next three to five years, depending upon the availability of resources, by various agencies like Wapda, Railways, provincial irrigation departments and National Highway Authority.

We also need to develop new varieties of crops like wheat, cotton, corn, and rice etc., that can grow in standing water, excessive rainfall and drought conditions. These projects will generate more income, reduce unemployment and poverty, the root causes of terrorism, bring about overall prosperity and give a new direction and hope to our people. This model can later be followed by other developing countries after due modifications to suit their own conditions.

To implement all the mega projects beyond our capability and capacity, heavy sustainable and consistent funding will be needed. On our part, we should not only carry out necessary surveys and research with the help of new technologies and know how, and make a modest start through our own affordable budgetary provisions, but also create the interest of foreign aid giving agencies especially the World Bank whose Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) for Pakistan calls attention to need for international support.

According to Martin Raiser of World Bank, “the recent flooding and humanitarian crisis provide a wake-up call for urgent action to prevent further devastation to the people of Pakistan and its economy due to climate change…Accelerated climate actions can protect the economy from shocks and secure more sustainable and inclusive growth in Pakistan.” Whereas the developed world has the economic resilience to absorb these shocks, we have none. The friendly countries like China, US, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar could also be persuaded to become our joint partners in these projects as it is not only their moral duty especially of the developed world who are basically responsible for global warming but will also give them better rate of return on their investments (ROI) by improving our communication and transportation network which will facilitate free trade, and transportation of goods from Central Asian countries, China, Middle East, to the West, and from West to the East and North. For us, it is the most alarming and urgent situation which requires political stability, continuation of policies, good law and order environment and removal of terrorist activities to encourage investments, both local and foreign.

The army could be requested to monitor these projects to prevent misappropriation of funds, quality assurance and their timely completion.

(The writer is a former engineer in- Chief & Founding Rector National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST)

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2023