Bitter truth about Pak floods

[SoulSpokesman]

@RiazHaq @Joe Shearer @waz @Wood

Normally, I am a bit skeptical about countries blaming its own predicaments on others but in this case, I think Pak has a right to feel aggrieved. Not sure what Pak could have done to either avert the tragedy or ease the people's suffering post event. The whole subcontinent, large swaths of sub Saharan Africa are in the same boat

https://www.dawn.com/news/1707526/in...responsibility

IT is an extremely unfair equation: though Pakistan is responsible for only a small fraction of a single percentage point when it comes to historical global carbon dioxide emissions, it is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change wrought by pollution. Its vulnerabilities have now been brought to the fore after weeks of unnaturally high rainfall were triggered by an extended spell of heatwaves — the latter a key symptom of global warming, which scientists have been warning the world about for decades.

Part of the blame — for example, for not doing more to mitigate the effects of climate change — may lie with us, but it is not unreasonable, given the reams of scientific evidence on the subject, to expect rich, developed nations, which generate the bulk of the pollutants that have triggered climate change, to take greater responsibility.

It is unfair that our people are once again paying with their lives, homes and livelihoods for the damage wreaked on the global climate by much larger, far more industrialised nations, while the latter bear few of the costs for their rapacious activities.

The ‘thoughts and prayers’ sent by some world leaders seem quite inadequate in this respect, considering that their countries have played such an outsized role in throwing the global climate off kilter.

It is also unfortunate that even the material aid that has been sent so far by the more proactive nations seems quite underwhelming given the scale of the disaster that it is meant to ameliorate. The challenges faced by the global economy may be one of the reasons why some otherwise responsible nations have been slow in their response to Islamabad’s requests for assistance. It is hoped that politics is not among those reasons.

The natural disaster Pakistan is facing is not an outcome of its own policy options but a consequence of choices made by others. It has a right to some form of reparations given the sheer cost of what it is being forced to bear.

Wide income disparities mean most people in Pakistan have little in terms of personal wealth. Yet, they are also resilient and have always found ways to help each other despite their meagre resources whenever catastrophe strikes. Even now, while suffering backbreaking inflation — currently at levels not seen in decades — the country is pulling together to contribute and rebuild. It will need all the help it can get.

If millions and billions can continue to be poured into wars that kill and destroy, the world can also find funds to restore and rebuild. The cost of the climate crisis must not be for the most vulnerable countries to bear alone. The developed nations must take responsibility to restore at least some of the damage their actions have caused.

Regards

 

[Maula Jatt]

Doesn't matter, instead of crying let's use it to our advantage

We need to invest in dams and canal system

Use dams and domestic coal for electricity, during drought years release that stored water

When life gives you lemons , make lemonade

We need to figure out issues in Sindh, they suffered the most in both 2010 and now

 

[I.R.A]

Normally, I am a bit skeptical about countries blaming its own predicaments on others but in this case, I think Pak has a right to feel aggrieved.

It is not the first time floods have hit Pakistan. Pakistan established a Federal Flood Commission in 1977 (after floods of 1973 & 1976), that commission has received some USD 900 million dollars (or 87.8 billion rupees, considering there was time when PKR was stronger this is huge sum of money).

I believe most of that money would have been spent on buying land plots and education of many someone's children, and most probably those haram fed children are now running the affairs.

 

[kingQamaR]

The Indus basin has flooded for centuries and the destruction has got worse since building and farming expansion in flood plains. The Pakistan government need some serious thought given to building ultra large overspill reservoirs and maintaining them against sedimentation etc. the Asian Development Bank should fund this. Unless dealt with properly, the exponential population increases will be decimated year on year.

 

[SoulSpokesman]

@kingQamaR

The Indus basin has flooded for centuries and the destruction has got worse since building and farming expansion in flood plains.

That is the unfortunate reality of modern civilisation, not only in Pak but all over the world.

Regards

 

[Acetic Acid]

IT is an extremely unfair equation: though Pakistan is responsible for only a small fraction of a single percentage point when it comes to historical global carbon dioxide emissions, it is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change wrought by pollution

Only Imran Khan is capable of making such a demand

Remember when he asked to wave off debts during COVID-19 and it was actually accepted

 

[DabbuSardar]

@kingQamaR

The Indus basin has flooded for centuries and the destruction has got worse since building and farming expansion in flood plains.

That is the unfortunate reality of modern civilisation, not only in Pak but all over the world.

Regards

The punjab is a desert, turned into an agricultural powerhouse by canal system and dams.

You live by the rivers and die by it, ask sindh and Rajasthan. All of these videos pf people dying and buildings swept away is because of greed to grab more land.
Want to solve it, take a look at China's sorrow river and yangtze, it took monumental dams to stop those.
Do something rather blame your best natural assets the rivers.

 

[-=virus=-]

@RiazHaq @Joe Shearer @waz @Wood

Normally, I am a bit skeptical about countries blaming its own predicaments on others but in this case, I think Pak has a right to feel aggrieved. Not sure what Pak could have done to either avert the tragedy or ease the people's suffering post event. The whole subcontinent, large swaths of sub Saharan Africa are in the same boat

https://www.dawn.com/news/1707526/in...responsibility

IT is an extremely unfair equation: though Pakistan is responsible for only a small fraction of a single percentage point when it comes to historical global carbon dioxide emissions, it is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change wrought by pollution. Its vulnerabilities have now been brought to the fore after weeks of unnaturally high rainfall were triggered by an extended spell of heatwaves — the latter a key symptom of global warming, which scientists have been warning the world about for decades.

Part of the blame — for example, for not doing more to mitigate the effects of climate change — may lie with us, but it is not unreasonable, given the reams of scientific evidence on the subject, to expect rich, developed nations, which generate the bulk of the pollutants that have triggered climate change, to take greater responsibility.

It is unfair that our people are once again paying with their lives, homes and livelihoods for the damage wreaked on the global climate by much larger, far more industrialised nations, while the latter bear few of the costs for their rapacious activities.

The ‘thoughts and prayers’ sent by some world leaders seem quite inadequate in this respect, considering that their countries have played such an outsized role in throwing the global climate off kilter.

It is also unfortunate that even the material aid that has been sent so far by the more proactive nations seems quite underwhelming given the scale of the disaster that it is meant to ameliorate. The challenges faced by the global economy may be one of the reasons why some otherwise responsible nations have been slow in their response to Islamabad’s requests for assistance. It is hoped that politics is not among those reasons.

The natural disaster Pakistan is facing is not an outcome of its own policy options but a consequence of choices made by others. It has a right to some form of reparations given the sheer cost of what it is being forced to bear.

Wide income disparities mean most people in Pakistan have little in terms of personal wealth. Yet, they are also resilient and have always found ways to help each other despite their meagre resources whenever catastrophe strikes. Even now, while suffering backbreaking inflation — currently at levels not seen in decades — the country is pulling together to contribute and rebuild. It will need all the help it can get.

If millions and billions can continue to be poured into wars that kill and destroy, the world can also find funds to restore and rebuild. The cost of the climate crisis must not be for the most vulnerable countries to bear alone. The developed nations must take responsibility to restore at least some of the damage their actions have caused.

Regards

positive rating to chhod,
ek like bhi ni mila kisi se

you @jamahir's cousin/replacement ?

 

[SoulSpokesman]

@VIRUS

No, Jamahir sb will be very surprised to see me clubbed with him.

Regards

 

[Olympus81]

I’d like to take an example of Thailand and Vietnam.

During the 80s they faced similar situation. What did their governments do?

Build dams, extensive network of canals and what you call monkey cheeks that act as water storage reservoirs by the thousands.

Now these 2 countries are the top rice producing nations, a crop that needs massive amount of water.

Coming to Pakistan, the focus is too much on mega dams. That’s good but medium and small sized dams are also as important. Large parts of Sindh and Balochistan can be irrigated if proper networks of canals and water reservoirs can be built.

 

[Mugen]

The biggest disaster in Pakistan is PDM and Pakistani generals. All this is just a by-product of their unwillingness to do what needs to be done.

 

[TNT]

So should we also blame others for our corruption? Our laziness in building dams? Its also others fault that we didn't make diversion canals and flood protection mechanisms?
Countries like japan and korea face massive floods but instead of blaming others, they found solutions.

 

[Signalian]

@RiazHaq @Joe Shearer @waz @Wood

Normally, I am a bit skeptical about countries blaming its own predicaments on others but in this case, I think Pak has a right to feel aggrieved. Not sure what Pak could have done to either avert the tragedy or ease the people's suffering post event. The whole subcontinent, large swaths of sub Saharan Africa are in the same boat

https://www.dawn.com/news/1707526/in...responsibility

IT is an extremely unfair equation: though Pakistan is responsible for only a small fraction of a single percentage point when it comes to historical global carbon dioxide emissions, it is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change wrought by pollution. Its vulnerabilities have now been brought to the fore after weeks of unnaturally high rainfall were triggered by an extended spell of heatwaves — the latter a key symptom of global warming, which scientists have been warning the world about for decades.

Part of the blame — for example, for not doing more to mitigate the effects of climate change — may lie with us, but it is not unreasonable, given the reams of scientific evidence on the subject, to expect rich, developed nations, which generate the bulk of the pollutants that have triggered climate change, to take greater responsibility.

It is unfair that our people are once again paying with their lives, homes and livelihoods for the damage wreaked on the global climate by much larger, far more industrialised nations, while the latter bear few of the costs for their rapacious activities.

The ‘thoughts and prayers’ sent by some world leaders seem quite inadequate in this respect, considering that their countries have played such an outsized role in throwing the global climate off kilter.

It is also unfortunate that even the material aid that has been sent so far by the more proactive nations seems quite underwhelming given the scale of the disaster that it is meant to ameliorate. The challenges faced by the global economy may be one of the reasons why some otherwise responsible nations have been slow in their response to Islamabad’s requests for assistance. It is hoped that politics is not among those reasons.

The natural disaster Pakistan is facing is not an outcome of its own policy options but a consequence of choices made by others. It has a right to some form of reparations given the sheer cost of what it is being forced to bear.

Wide income disparities mean most people in Pakistan have little in terms of personal wealth. Yet, they are also resilient and have always found ways to help each other despite their meagre resources whenever catastrophe strikes. Even now, while suffering backbreaking inflation — currently at levels not seen in decades — the country is pulling together to contribute and rebuild. It will need all the help it can get.

If millions and billions can continue to be poured into wars that kill and destroy, the world can also find funds to restore and rebuild. The cost of the climate crisis must not be for the most vulnerable countries to bear alone. The developed nations must take responsibility to restore at least some of the damage their actions have caused.

Regards

One has to look at all aspects.

Areas near rivers are often at risk for floods. Urban areas (areas near cities) are also at higher risk for floods because rooftops funnel rainfall to the ground below, and paved surfaces such as highways and parking lots prevent the ground from absorbing the rain. Mountains or steep hills can increase an area’s flood risk, too. Rain or snow-melt running down a mountain can cause streams and rivers to rise quickly. In fact, if a thunderstorm lingers over a mountain, a creek only 6 inches deep can swell to a 10-foot-deep river in less than an hour. Very intense rainfall can produce flooding even on dry soil. Flooding often occurs when there is fast runoff into lakes, rivers and other reservoirs. This is often the case with rivers and other channels that feature steep sides. It is a similar issue to having a lack of vegetation. Vegetation can help slow runoff and prevent flooding. When there is a lack of vegetation, however, there is little to stop water from running off.

Sometimes, streams through cities and towns are routed underground into storm drains. During heavy rain, the storm drains can become overwhelmed or plugged by debris and flood the roads and buildings nearby. Low spots, such as underpasses, underground parking garages, basements, and low water crossings can become death traps.

Driving in floods isnt advisable. A small car weighing about 1 tonne can be moved by floodwater which is only 15 cm deep, flowing at a rate of 1 m per second. In 60 cm of floodwater a small car will completely float away. This is because of the car's buoyancy from airtight doors and inflated tyres.

I’d like to take an example of Thailand and Vietnam.

During the 80s they faced similar situation. What did their governments do?

Build dams, extensive network of canals and what you call monkey cheeks that act as water storage reservoirs by the thousands.

Now these 2 countries are the top rice producing nations, a crop that needs massive amount of water.

Coming to Pakistan, the focus is too much on mega dams. That’s good but medium and small sized dams are also as important. Large parts of Sindh and Balochistan can be irrigated if proper networks of canals and water reservoirs can be built.

What is your solution/view for :

1. City planning including drainage, housing, pavement area etc
2. Mountainous area like Swat or AJK
3. Reservoirs and channeling of excess water

 

[VCheng]

Normally, I am a bit skeptical about countries blaming its own predicaments on others but in this case, I think Pak has a right to feel aggrieved. Not sure what Pak could have done to either avert the tragedy or ease the people's suffering post event.

Hang on a minute here.

Pakistan has had more than half a century at least to build dams, stop deforestation in catchment areas, control its population and enforce proper planning for levees and building codes. It chose not to do any of that, and thus magnify manifold the effects of the recent flooding.

How is that anybody else's fault?

 

[Wood]

The Pakistani administration has done a good job to identify and highlight that climate change is the primary contributing reason for the floods in Pakistan. The Federal minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman and FM Bilawal Bhutto have been quoted by a number of Western media outlets on this issue. Hopefully the realization will translate into good international support for the state to tackle the humanitarian tragedy.