Attiya Munawer
\nWith new crises emerging every other day around the world, climate change is quietly driving multiple shifts, disrupting entire ecological cycles. Climate change is a key indicator of sustainability success and a measure of a country\u2019s resilience, reflecting environmental stewardship while providing relief to those affected during natural disasters. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), Pakistan faced one of its worst flood crises in recent years, affecting over 33 million people and wreaking havoc in several provinces. The intense floodwaters until now not only submerged homes, crops, and infrastructure, but also brought with them a wave of disease outbreaks that further complicated an already dire situation.
\nApparently, Pakistan has a long history of flooding, with many of its population living in areas that are vulnerable to heavy monsoon rains. From 2022 to 2025, this risk was further exacerbated by the already difficult conditions caused by infectious diseases and pandemics. Floods affected several provinces, including Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit-Baltistan, causing significant damage and displacement, and creating a number of health problems for the affected people.
\nOne of the biggest health concerns arising from these floods was the risk of water-borne diseases, which continues to this day. The risk of contamination of drinking water sources in many areas affected by floodwaters also remains high. As a result, the risk of diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis A increases. Furthermore, floodwaters provide an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, significantly increasing the number of dengue and malaria cases. This not only puts pressure on the already overburdened healthcare system, but also puts many people at risk of severe illness and death. However, the impacts of these disasters are exacerbated by food insecurity, poverty, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of access to basic services, healthcare, and clean drinking water.
\nIn this situation, it is necessary to see how this can be overcome. In this context, the provision of relief during a natural disaster not only helps to alleviate the suffering of the affected people but also demonstrates the commitment of the government and the administration to environmental care and the ability to respond to the challenges of environmental degradation by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting sustainable development, and implementing renewable energy policies. A major problem arising from floods is the displacement of large numbers of people from their homes. Flood victims often find themselves in temporary shelters where overcrowding and poor hygiene conditions are common, creating a fertile environment for the spread of infectious diseases, with a high risk of respiratory infections, skin infections, and other diseases. Every year, women and young girls who survive the August floods face the most painful consequences, suffering from urinary tract infections (UTIs), reproductive problems, and other health complications. Even children are not immune to the ravages of the floods.
\nThe response from the government and international organisations during the floods in Pakistan has been swift. Relief efforts continue to provide food, shelter, and medical assistance to flood victims. However, despite these efforts, the scale of the devastation is so great, and the health consequences so serious, that many people continue to need assistance long after the flood disasters. This shows that much more needs to be done to deal with the ongoing health crisis caused by these natural disasters. In this regard, much responsibility lies with the government to fulfil its obligations before and after the floods, but all the government\u2019s actions are not going beyond mere showy announcements and demonstrative measures.
\nThere is a practice all over the world of evacuating affected areas before disasters like floods, which is not seen anywhere at the national level in Pakistan. Similarly, in emergency situations, there is no such pre-planning as to when and where barriers can be breached to save the maximum population. Above all, there is a lack of attention from the political leadership on such occasions when people affected by the merciless waves of floods keep calling for help, but the governments remain busy in their own political battles. What kind of democracy is this, which is being cut off from the people? The political leadership should put aside all differences and unite to help the flood victims, and should be at the forefront on such occasions. Along with this, the federation and the provinces should start the rehabilitation work of the victims under a joint strategy, but nothing seems to be happening.
\nThere is no denying that the flood crisis in Pakistan in recent years has been a wake-up call for the country and the international community. It has highlighted the need for greater investment in disaster preparedness and response, as well as improving the overall health and well-being of vulnerable communities. It has also emphasised the importance of addressing the root causes of natural disasters, including climate change and environmental degradation. By addressing our shortcomings, we can help prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future with a more effective, coordinated response and ensure that the health and well-being of those affected are protected. Will every country be able to do so and prevent the devastation of climate disasters? This is a question that the government and international authorities have the answer to, but seem reluctant to address.<\/p>\n
The writer is an activist and environmen-talist. She covers human rights and politico-environmental issues. She tweets @AttiyaMunawer and can be reached at attiabutt121@gmail.com<\/p>\n
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Attiya Munawer With new crises emerging every other day around the world, climate change is quietly driving multiple shifts, disrupting entire ecological cycles. Climate change is a key indicator of sustainability success and a measure of a country\u2019s resilience, reflecting environmental stewardship while providing relief to those affected during natural disasters. According to the Institute […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[9843],"class_list":{"0":"post-506861","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-article","7":"tag-attiya-munawer"},"yoast_head":"\n