November 14, 2024

Two years ago in Davos, the debates at the WEF (World Economic Forum) revolved around the ‘sustainability’ of planet earth and how we need to come together to make a difference. The theme ‘Stakeholders for a united and sustainable world’ is not only relevant but very appropriate because half of the countries around the world are fighting a common enemy: the fight against the global climate crisis.

Pakistan is now 5th most vulnerable country in the world to climate change, with a population explosion that is feared to exceed 300 million before 2050, according to the assessment of the world survey 2005-2015. Pakistan’s delegation at WWF-Davos presented the country’s ‘Billion Tree Tsunami campaign’ as a game changer at the policy-making table when it comes to high-impact countries facing climate emergencies.

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The world at large noticed and moved on with their lives

Two years later, Pakistan is facing one of the most dangerous monsoons and the most catastrophic climate crisis, which hit the country with rain and flash floods that took 40% of the land under water. The impact displaced millions of people, leading to one of the largest migrations since 1947.

The reports of the NDMA- National Disaster Management Authority further identified the path of destruction. Monsoon rains affect 15% of the population (30 million people) especially in the twin provinces of Sindh and Baluchistan, receiving 784% and 500% more rain than the average this year. The damage assessment includes 300,000 kilometers of roads, 130 bridges and 495,000 homes. In addition, with 4.25 million hectares of crops damaged and 793995 livestock killed, the livelihoods of millions of people are under siege, raising the biggest challenge of ‘forced migration’, after the disaster.

Despite not achieving the millennium development goals by 2015, Pakistan has largely failed to achieve the SDGs 2050, with the overall impact of infrastructure affecting key development indicators with the majority of Pakistan with further limited access to primary health care, most of the vulnerable population fall victim to disease epidemics such as Dengue virus, malaria and other water borne diseases which are increasing as we speak. Therefore, Pakistan should review its migration policy in light of the climate crisis and focus on human capital planning through ‘climate justice’ as the main agenda point for policy makers, as the only way forward. to sustain the economy beyond 2022.

Pakistan is currently the most vulnerable country due to climate change with a population that may cross 300 million people by the year 2050. With a large number of displaced migrants within Pakistan today , primary health care provision and support is woefully inadequate.

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With fresh drinking water supplies contaminated in rural areas due to devastating floods, most rural populations facing water scarcity migrate to urban lands, as the water supplies are damaged and water-borne diseases are on the rise. This resulted in massive rural-urban migration with floods of people flocking to large cities such as Karachi, adding to the growing population crisis.

Rivers are the backbone for the entire population and the rising river levels across the country have washed away houses and crops. We know about the Indus-water treaty between India and Pakistan, where India shares most of its water resources. With Pakistan going through a ‘water crisis’, failure on that front could further deprive Pakistan of fresh water supply through India.

More than 65% of the rural and urban population is under the age of 30. Young people facing such challenges are now considering migration because unemployment, food insecurity and poor health care forces them to leave the country or resort to petty crimes that set. a major challenge to law enforcement. To meet the needs for modern family planning in the post-flood scenario, most developing countries need about $3.6 billion annually.

By investing in primary health care in maternal and newborn health care, the country could save about $1.5 billion in net savings. However, primary health care budgets are not allocated to local governments forcing the emergency crisis to escalate. Due to the increasing population affected by floods and migration challenges, the biggest challenge for the country today is food production. With the agricultural base destroyed by the flood, it will be difficult to feed many people in the coming months as the water level drops, leaving a wasteland full of disease and contamination.

Maximum food production is now imminent along with the need to ensure greater access to clean water. In these SDG goals, Pakistan falls far short and therefore needs support from developing countries to help the ‘dispersed youth’ with jobs abroad and opportunities to earn and remit. back to their country. Labor cost in Pakistan is cheap so cheap labor can be used abroad to sustain livelihoods.

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Previous UN reports have identified an increasing ‘water crisis’ in which more than 40% of the global world may be on the brink of a ‘war for water resources’ that could even lead to the destruction of ecosystems, crop failure, collapse of industrial production. , poverty and disease. Ironically, Pakistan today has all these symptoms, blown to the max.

How is the country handling its migration crisis?

How does the youth population have access to jobs? How can they get basic health care to protect themselves and how can they get access to food and shelter, under the current circumstances?

For major projects like CPEC with China, Pakistan needs to invest in water resources to support infrastructure needs, because that is where most of the unemployed youth can sustain job opportunities and where the migration of youth towards the near future. Wasteful agricultural and industrial water resources must be considered. Gender equality must be examined and managed in terms of the high rate of poverty in the current times with the need to develop green solutions and job creation.

Migration is directly connected to climate change. And the lack of climate justice is the main cause of such climate emergency events that shake the country to its core. In addition, increased flood-drought cycles may lead to greater food and water crises. To produce more food, we need more water. In South Asia alone, massive migrations are also putting pressure on the entire region with China, India, Nepal and Pakistan on the brink of a future ‘water war’.

Breaking down the numbers, by 2050, almost 40% of the world’s youth will live in Asia and 50% in Africa, with a population of more than 9 billion people. Today, the water consumption of 100 liters per person per day is not enough. Do banks in Pakistan finance water conservation projects? No. Is the corporate water industry getting rich without providing water to the poor? Yes. Has there been a government in the past or present that has unveiled a comprehensive water policy? No.

Today, with increasing migration to urban centers in most regions, the water climate emergency affects nearly 700 million people in nearly 43 countries – a phenomenon called water stress. Pakistan may face famine in near future.

Read more: Pakistan’s economy will suffer if Afghanistan peace talks fail

Currently, people move to big cities because of job opportunities but also because of water sources. Provincial governments should make water affordable for the poor population instead of profiting and privatizing water resources, at least until the country is water secure again. For the benefit of the growing migrant youth population, the cost of access to basic resources should be subsidized.

According to a survey conducted almost 10 years ago, the number of street children in urban centers is 1.5 million. In the post-flood crisis within the rural population, the number of street children today, including new migrants may be more than 6-7 million, at a conservative estimate. One of the major factors attributed to this increase is the increase in unemployed elderly family members who are facing the economic crisis.

Before 2022, the floods of 2010 and 2011 together with the military operations since 2013, which together forced families out of their homes, the new migration numbers have increased dramatically beyond belief today . Due to the lack of adequate assistance and rehabilitation by government departments, migrant families who have lost their homes and are adjusting to a new uncontrolled environment are resorting to all kinds of crimes that can be seen on the rise in crime rates in major cities in Pakistan today.

In a migration survey conducted recently, more than 70% of respondents affected by the flood reported that they in their communities did not have basic information on services or funds available to them. This is a big question for the government to secure funds for the migrants affected by the flood? The difference is staggering. How long will it continue like this?

Read more: Ready to protect Pakistan’s economy from virus shock: Governor SBP

We need to secure livelihoods by auditing our governments and holding them accountable for service delivery to migrant populations or else they starve or die of disease due to lack of fair treatment. distribution of clean drinking water, which brings a great health emergency in the country.

As the founder of the nation said: the health of a nation is measured by the health of its people. How far we have come is a big question mark as the country struggles to get out of the woods, with little hope in sight.

The writer works with the health sector and writes about international relations, the environment, economics and social justice. He is a renowned broadcaster and writer. He tweets at @zeeshan8244998. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Global Village Space.

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