THE ongoing monsoon rains lashing different parts of the country have brought back grim memories of the long trail of destruction left behind by the unprecedented floods two years ago. Even the below-normal rains in July caused at least 123 deaths nationwide, besides destroying roads, bridges, houses and other infrastructure, and killing livestock. Punjab, KP and Gilgit-Baltistan remain the most affected areas. The fresh monsoon spell that started on Thursday has also resulted in loss of life and property as floods washed away bridges and roads in KP and GB, while a record-breaking spell submerged Lahore and other cities in Punjab. Thousands of tourists are stuck in parts of KP and GB as some areas are cut off from the rest of the country after flash floods swept away roads and bridges. Essential services, including hospital emergencies, electricity, and air and rail transportation, were badly disrupted. The NDMA has warned that various parts of the country are likely to experience urban and flash flooding going forward as the current spell is projected to last till Aug 6. Another round of torrential rains is forecast for the period from Aug 7 to Aug 15. Earlier in spring, nearly 100 people lost their lives in incidents related to unseasonal rains.

With the rising frequency and intensity of rain-related disasters, induced by climate change and often resulting in significant loss of life and destruction, it is imperative for policymakers to build climate-resilient infrastructure. But that needs time and international financial support to fill the resource gap for the required investment. Yet they must urgently reinforce climate defence by building capacity for early forecasts of unusual weather patterns, and for evacuating, rescuing and rehabilitating communities at risk. There is no doubt that our disaster authorities have built up significant capacity in these areas since the 2010 floods. However, the 2022 deluge laid bare several gaps, clearly showing that the national and provincial disaster authorities remain ill equipped and ill prepared to deal with catastrophes on such a large scale. A very big number of the nearly 33m people affected by one of the most destructive floods in the nation’s history could not even be reached for rescue when the deluge hit; a huge number remains displaced. The government cannot prevent climate-induced disasters but it can mitigate their destructive impact.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2024