Daily Times

Last year, the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) had warned that Karachi and other coastal areas face the threat of drowning within the next 35 to 45 years due to rising sea levels and climate change. With the sea level rising by 6 millimetres annually, experts have warned that the greatest threat to the country yet may not be from the widespread violence but instead from climate change. The authorities are yet to initiate measures on the scale and timeframe needed to confront this existential challenge.

The reports of massive coastal erosion at sites such as Damb, a small seaside village in Sonmiani, Balochistan, have further added to the threat outlined by the NIO and other organisations. Approximately 43,000 square feet of land in the various parts of the village has been swallowed by the ocean in the past one week, leaving the residents at the mercy of the government.

The general apathy of the authorities, as well as a lack of coverage from the media, further added to the miseries of the local people.

Now that the deluge is literally upon us, what can be done?

The first and foremost step should be, of course, rescue activities in the region as well as efforts to ascertain the damage caused. There have to be plans to evacuate people in the region in case of a further threat.

Secondly, we need to catch up with the global discussion on the issue of climate change. Despite warnings from both independent and government agencies, the state’s inaction in this regard is astonishing. Even more so is the silence from the government on the recent tragedy — which would suggest that those in power have little idea of the nature of the challenge. Pakistan Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) experts have said that this is the first time that erosion of such magnitude has happened. The NIO team that visited from Karachi reported that the fact that Damb is located in a lagoon makes it more vulnerable to sea erosion. Moreover, the construction of a faulty jetty over a decade ago and a breakwater had increased this vulnerability multiple times.

Lastly, the role of media is extremely important to drive the discussion in this regard. The NIO report had warned that approximately 40 million could be displaced by rising sea levels due to climate change. If the deaths, floods and droughts worldwide due to climate change have not yet registered on the Pakistani authorities, perhaps the miseries to come could propel them into some sort of concerted action?  *