Over $9 billion was pledged by international donors earlier in January to assist Pakistan in recovering from devastation caused by floods last year, clearing the way for a new method of raising money to battle climate disasters in developing nations.
This is good news, according to our government. The reality, however, is quite different.
In 2014, more than 19.3 million people in over a hundred countries left their homes in response to disasters. Natural disasters, mostly within their own countries, but sometimes across international borders, have harassed communities around the world in the past few years.
Since 2008, such disasters have displaced an average of 26.4 million people every year – the equivalent of one person each second. 2022 was much worse than 2014, proving that thinking positively about the future won't benefit us if we don't act.
In such circumstances, governance is essential. Following a tragedy, outcomes will be greatly influenced by the type and timing of policy actions, because these factors have an impact on people's resilience and ability to cope. They have the power to affect how long people are displaced, how easily they can access services, and whether they have the choice to relocate to safer places and start their lives again, or not.
Where is Pakistan at the moment? Will Pakistan be able to receive the money in time and use it appropriately? Pakistan can better itself by implementing some practical solutions.
First, Pakistan must pay attention to construction codes, urban planning, and infrastructure management. Doing so will limit exposure to potential hazards and disasters in the future; and not heeding these may increase it.
Second, growth needs to be sustainable. Poor development techniques increase the susceptibility of already vulnerable areas to dangers, putting people's lives at greater risk. For instance, logging may increase the risk of landslides in hilly locations, and the construction of concrete fences near sensitive coastal areas may impede natural formations.
Long-term, sustainable development initiatives can help communities become more resilient over time, by generating new employment opportunities, adapting innovative technologies, and developing indigenous approaches to climate resilience.
Third, governments should create more predictable humanitarian facilities and temporary housing arrangements to aid those displaced across borders after a disaster, such as through bilateral agreements. Some displacement will be unavoidable, and international refugee and human rights law offers very limited protection in the disaster displacement context.
Political instability is another man-made disaster that Pakistan is currently experiencing. This flood of political instability is caused by the erosion of the protective period system that ebbs and flows over years or decades. To overcome this challenge, we must work together for Pakistan, since we have already endured greatly from natural disasters and political unrest.
These types of instability lead to conflicts that destroy livelihoods, split communities, separate families, and inflict psychological trauma. By eliminating all of this radical instability and working together for Pakistan, we can begin to repair the damage that has been done to our social fabric.
We must work together and be dependable to achieve our goal, because we have to advocate our case ourselves internationally. Pakistan is among the countries that suffers the most from global warming, even though it does not produce a lot of CO² emissions. The rest is known to us.
This is good news, according to our government. The reality, however, is quite different.
In 2014, more than 19.3 million people in over a hundred countries left their homes in response to disasters. Natural disasters, mostly within their own countries, but sometimes across international borders, have harassed communities around the world in the past few years.
Since 2008, such disasters have displaced an average of 26.4 million people every year – the equivalent of one person each second. 2022 was much worse than 2014, proving that thinking positively about the future won't benefit us if we don't act.
In such circumstances, governance is essential. Following a tragedy, outcomes will be greatly influenced by the type and timing of policy actions, because these factors have an impact on people's resilience and ability to cope. They have the power to affect how long people are displaced, how easily they can access services, and whether they have the choice to relocate to safer places and start their lives again, or not.
Where is Pakistan at the moment? Will Pakistan be able to receive the money in time and use it appropriately? Pakistan can better itself by implementing some practical solutions.
First, Pakistan must pay attention to construction codes, urban planning, and infrastructure management. Doing so will limit exposure to potential hazards and disasters in the future; and not heeding these may increase it.
Second, growth needs to be sustainable. Poor development techniques increase the susceptibility of already vulnerable areas to dangers, putting people's lives at greater risk. For instance, logging may increase the risk of landslides in hilly locations, and the construction of concrete fences near sensitive coastal areas may impede natural formations.
Long-term, sustainable development initiatives can help communities become more resilient over time, by generating new employment opportunities, adapting innovative technologies, and developing indigenous approaches to climate resilience.
Third, governments should create more predictable humanitarian facilities and temporary housing arrangements to aid those displaced across borders after a disaster, such as through bilateral agreements. Some displacement will be unavoidable, and international refugee and human rights law offers very limited protection in the disaster displacement context.
Political instability is another man-made disaster that Pakistan is currently experiencing. This flood of political instability is caused by the erosion of the protective period system that ebbs and flows over years or decades. To overcome this challenge, we must work together for Pakistan, since we have already endured greatly from natural disasters and political unrest.
These types of instability lead to conflicts that destroy livelihoods, split communities, separate families, and inflict psychological trauma. By eliminating all of this radical instability and working together for Pakistan, we can begin to repair the damage that has been done to our social fabric.
We must work together and be dependable to achieve our goal, because we have to advocate our case ourselves internationally. Pakistan is among the countries that suffers the most from global warming, even though it does not produce a lot of CO² emissions. The rest is known to us.