2011 Impact of Climate Change on Pakistan is Massive and disappointing

Throughout 2011 we have seen  some of the extreme weather effects of climate change stinging. Global warming means killer storms more worse than Katrina and Gustav, unexpected flooding in Asia, drought in Eastern Europe, unseasonal heavy rains in western Africa. These events  have also reduced crop yields, further hampering the chances of relief.
2012 will also be the first year in which the world has had 7 billion mouths to feed throughout all 12 months. But drought in Eastern Europe this winter has affected the grain harvest raising prices and lowering hopes for famine relief in Africa.

Global warming is causing the melting of glaciers in the Himalayas. In the short term, this means increased risk of flooding, erosion, mudslides and GLOF in Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and north India during the wet season. Because the melting of snow coincides with the summer monsoon season, any intensification of the monsoon and/or increase in melting is likely to contribute to flood disasters in Himalayan catchments.

The United Nations has rated the floods in Pakistan as the greatest humanitarian crisis in recent history. In an unprecedented move, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has come forward to formally blame the flooding in Pakistan on “global warming,” angering some denialists (CNSNews.com). “Indeed, the Islamic world is paying a heavy price resulting from the negative repercussions of climate change,” said OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu at an emergency meeting in Saudi Arabia.

Research Reports indicate 62,000 square miles of land have been affected — about one-fifth of the entire country. Of the 15 million people seriously affected, about 50 percent are children in 2010 flood.


More than five million Pakistanis   are now estimated to require humanitarian assistance as a result of this year’s floods, are mainly in Sindh and Balochistan provinces, with 25 per cent of them women and 50 per cent children United Nations aid agencies reported on 25Nov, 2011. Almost 800,000 homes were destroyed or badly damaged in the floods, which began in August, and nearly 750,000 people were still displaced at the end of October.

After such a drastic flood almost 5.3 million people have been affected by this year's rains, which began falling in late August.
370,000 people are estimated to still be living in camps in Sindh.
200,000 people were made and remain homeless.
1.7 million acres of arable land affected.
300 people were killed in the three months
As climate-related risks intensify, there will be a need to respond proactively to build resilience through action and preemption rather than through relief and response.
Cities can minimize the risk of destructive floods, by improving drainage and sanitation systems and imposing a solid waste management scheme that promotes efficient garbage collection and reduces the use of plastics. Governments need to develop integrated urban plans that address urgent issues on water supply, flooding, transportation, and solid waste, and climate change.