Pakistan floods pose urgent questions over preparedness and climate reparations
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Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. It faces a rate of warming considerably above global average, with a potential rise of 1.3-4.9 degrees Celsius by the 2090s. Earlier this summer, the extreme heat accelerated glacial melting; and weakened flows to the Indus River, resulting in a 38 percent water shortage in Punjab and Sindh – major crop-producing provinces.
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Pakistan contributes less than one percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, prompting many to clamour for reparations from the Global North for such disasters.
“Countries such as Pakistan should 100 percent demand climate reparations,” said Lahore-based climate change lawyer and policy specialist Sara Hayat. “The Paris Agreement does say that the developed world should finance the developing world. In that [case], Pakistan should receive more funding since we are vulnerable in a way that the Global North is not. Those responsible for climate change should take financial responsibility this time.”
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“Post-disaster response cannot just end [with] providing relief and funds for rebuilding houses or buying livestock,” said Aftab, the geoscientist. “The government needs to understand that a focus on risk reduction and resilient infrastructure development is crucial, since these disasters will get so repetitive that we won’t have the ability to respond as effectively.”
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