Climate change and corruption are inextricably linked.

             The ongoing flooding in parts of Balochistan and Sindh shows both our unwillingness to address climate change and our insistence on blaming it for our failure to plan, govern, and carry out our obligations. Priorities come first. A genuine and existential threat to humanity is climate change. The poorest communities in Pakistan, like all other nations on the earth, are most at risk of losing their lives, homes, and means of subsistence.

 

This brings me to my second argument. While there shouldn't be any denial of climate change, it is both impolite and untrue to use it as an excuse for government inefficiency on all fronts. There is no denying that Balochistan and Sindh continue to get much heavier rainfall than they did in the past. However, this does not serve as an excuse for illegal building, pervasive corruption, a lack of skilled personnel to handle emergencies, or reactive rather than proactive policymaking. Today's government action is much too frequently a reaction to a popular video. The fact that economically disadvantaged communities, even those at the most vulnerable end of the spectrum, are unlikely to have the time or means to produce recordings or trends that prompt our authorities to act reflexively, is especially significant and difficult to note. Climate change and our collective indifference are still hurting these communities.

 

Socioeconomically deprived groups and nations like Pakistan suffer repeatedly in the domain of health. Flash floods cause the loss of livelihoods and crops (thus increased levels of malnutrition), followed by an increase in water-borne infections that frequently accompany the floods. The first effect of climate change is the protracted episodes of illnesses that range from respiratory problems to skin ailments. Last but not least, the inability to obtain quality medical care books sends a life that is influenced by societal injustice.

 

First of all, this is a problem for everyone, not just the powerful. People in and out of positions of authority haven't shown the slightest concern or consideration for the tens of thousands of affected families during the past few weeks. So much for the catchphrases promoting civic engagement, progressive principles, genuine change, genuine freedom, etc. This also applies to the broader public. If conversations in living rooms or on social media platforms are any indication, there is little interest in the lives of the tens of thousands of people affected by the destruction and those who have been suffering as a result of the corruption and climate change nexus for at least a generation. Those who pass away today might be anonymous because we choose not to know their identities, or they might be too many or insignificant to list, but we must never forget that the value of a society is determined by how it respects and defends its most defenseless members.

 

Second, we must acknowledge that climate change is a problem that affects everyone, not just the Met or agencies in charge of disaster response. Everyone must participate in this, including urban planners, physicians, engineers, economists, policymakers, and politicians. This also means that you should consider the problems holistically and go beyond simply applauding campaigns to plant a billion or a trillion trees. This also refers to spreading effective, simple-to-understand messaging to schools and the general public to raise awareness. Our successful anti-Covid-19 effort, which protected the nation from the consequences experienced in many of our neighbors, has important lessons to teach us. It is true that every nation is vulnerable and that we must all work together on a global scale, but, like Covid-19, it is also true that each nation and each region must have a strong local strategy with a focus on the most vulnerable. We can succeed in future periods of adversity if we continue to do so in the past.