Global warming is not a phenomenon of recent decades as experts had raised the alarm way back in mid-nineteen century after evaluating the changes in weather on the North Pole between 1830 and 1850.
“Coastal cities will sink, people will suffer due to extreme weather as a result of global warming”, numerous warnings like these fell on deaf ears.
It wasn’t like the international community hadn’t been aware of the effects of climate change but they believed it would hurt third world countries more than the first world and the rich nations would be able to deal with the consequences of global warming.
Pakistan hasn’t been experiencing its first flood, in fact the flood of 2010 was a definite warning that had been ignored consciously by former rulers, because they knew either they or their offspring would be ruling this poor country by the time the next flood hit Pakistan.
During the 2010 flood, the rulers drowned the villages of poor masses to save their own palaces and properties, although, allegedly the same approach was adopted during the current flood that needs to be investigated by the Sindh government as well as other provincial governments.
Countries such as the USA, China, India, Russia, Japan and Brazil ought to be held accountable for climate change for their major share in global carbon emission.
On the flipside, countries that have been suffering the most from the effects of global warming such as Chad, Haiti, Kenya, Pakistan, and Somalia need to realize that they are the ones paying a hefty price for rich nations’ development.
Although the rich nations knew of the potential consequences of climate change for the West, the reward of using fossil fuel was too attractive, and why would the West help third world countries at the cost of their own development?
The Asian Development Bank in its recent report placed Pakistan among countries at high risk of getting affected from natural calamities, noting the fact every year the country suffers average losses of $2 billion form natural disasters.
The report highlighted that floods have brought more destruction than earthquakes in Pakistan and every year natural calamities claim on an average 863 lives in the country.
Ironically, whenever Pakistan takes an issue to the International Community, it rarely gets solved. The prime example is Kashmir or the issue of India flooding Pakistani rivers by releasing extra water.
It’s high time for Pakistan to focus on its economy, poverty alleviation, start relying on its own manpower to boost exports instead of just banking on foreign loans, and above all, fix the justice system, so our children could live in a better country.
