In the Kausar Niazi Colony in Pakistan, a man named Murtaza Hussain watched as his house was flooded with water, wreaking havoc on everything it touched. When floods returned in July, Hussain braced himself for the same outcome, as water flooded into his neighborhood and drowned at least one of his neighbors.
“It took us nearly two days to clean the water and get the house back to normal. There was no help from the government,” said Mr. Hussain, 45, who works in a textile factory. “Every year, the government says there will be no flooding, but the problem is getting worse.”
Every year Pakistan faces monsoon rains which last two to three months. However, this year, the season has been especially rough, providing a grim reminder that extreme weather conditions are becoming increasingly common.
The monsoon rains have killed 282 people in five weeks, many women and children, the National Disaster Management Authority announced on Thursday. The showers have also damaged vital infrastructures such as highways and bridges and around 5600 homes, the Authority said.
The Global Climate Risk Index, which tracks the human and economic toll by weather events, is ranked among one of the most vulnerable countries by the global climate risk index.
Pakistan is estimated to have lost about 4 billion dollars in 20 years. It is estimated to have lost 10,000 lives due to weather-related disasters.
Many analysts have blamed the devastation in Pakistan due to the factors such as climate change, which has caused heavy rains, negligent government officials leading to the inability to coordinate, and sporadic urban planning.
“All of these problems stem from the city being poorly governed and exploited by multiple political parties vying for control of the city’s economic resources, but all failing to deliver basic services to its residents,” said Jumaina Siddiqui, senior program officer for South Asia at the U.S. Institute of Peace.
Meanwhile, the residents of Kausar Niazi Colony are left to protect themselves.
Link:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/24/world/asia/pakistan-monsoon-floods.html
“It took us nearly two days to clean the water and get the house back to normal. There was no help from the government,” said Mr. Hussain, 45, who works in a textile factory. “Every year, the government says there will be no flooding, but the problem is getting worse.”
Every year Pakistan faces monsoon rains which last two to three months. However, this year, the season has been especially rough, providing a grim reminder that extreme weather conditions are becoming increasingly common.
The monsoon rains have killed 282 people in five weeks, many women and children, the National Disaster Management Authority announced on Thursday. The showers have also damaged vital infrastructures such as highways and bridges and around 5600 homes, the Authority said.
The Global Climate Risk Index, which tracks the human and economic toll by weather events, is ranked among one of the most vulnerable countries by the global climate risk index.
Pakistan is estimated to have lost about 4 billion dollars in 20 years. It is estimated to have lost 10,000 lives due to weather-related disasters.
Many analysts have blamed the devastation in Pakistan due to the factors such as climate change, which has caused heavy rains, negligent government officials leading to the inability to coordinate, and sporadic urban planning.
“All of these problems stem from the city being poorly governed and exploited by multiple political parties vying for control of the city’s economic resources, but all failing to deliver basic services to its residents,” said Jumaina Siddiqui, senior program officer for South Asia at the U.S. Institute of Peace.
Meanwhile, the residents of Kausar Niazi Colony are left to protect themselves.
Link:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/24/world/asia/pakistan-monsoon-floods.html
