Floods and foes

Source: The post is based on articles “Floods and foes” published in the “The Hindu”

“Floods in Pakistan bear similarities to those in India. It’s time for a collaborative mechanism to deal with extreme weather events” published in the Indian Express on 31^st August 2022.

Syllabus: GS 3 Disaster Management; GS 2 International Relations

Relevance: Flood Management and India-Pakistan Relations

News: In recent days, Pakistan has been hit by the worst natural disaster(flood). The Prime Minister of India has expressed condolences to the victims of the flooding in India’s neighborhood.

Implications of flooding in Pakistan

As per the official statements, due to flooding, one-third of Pakistan is underwater, more than 1,100 people have died, and over 33 million people have been affected. Homes, roads, and infrastructure have been damaged, amounting to a loss of about $10 billion.

Further, standing crops have been affected. There are fears of disease as well as food shortages.

What are the causes behind Pakistan’s Flood 2022?

Pakistan experienced a monsoon in 2022, which is unusually wet, called “monsoon on steroids” by UN Secretary-General.

It is an imprint of a global-warming-induced extreme weather event.

In several parts of Pakistan, river embankments have not been repaired for years. Therefore, rivers caused havoc in surrounding places.

Pakistan’s city drainage systems have not received adequate attention from the country’s planners.

Global Response to Pakistan’s Flood, 2022

Various countries such as the U.K., the U.S., China, the UAE, Qatar, and Turkey have already dispatched aid to Pakistan, and many others have promised help.

The IMF announced a $1.1 billion bailout tranche, as part of ongoing negotiations with Pakistan.

Significance for India-Pakistan Relations

There are indications that India will join the growing number of countries and international bodies that have responded to Pakistan’s appeal for help to deal with the ravages of the worst floods.

The Pakistan Finance Minister has proposed to lift the trade ban imposed on India after the Jammu-Kashmir reorganization in 2019. This would enable the import of Indian vegetables and essential commodities.

In the past, both sides have provided assistance to each other in times of humanitarian crisis. For example, Pakistan extended help after the Gujarat earthquake of 2001, India did likewise when large swathes of Pakistan were flooded in 2010, and both cooperated during the Kashmir earthquake of 2005.

Similarities between India’s floods and Pakistan’s flood experiences

The same southwest monsoon that brings the bulk of India’s annual rainfall causes rain in Pakistan as well. Both countries are the victims of weather vagaries.

The two countries have shared colonial legacies in both urban planning and flood management.

Further, both countries receive water from the melting glaciers in the Himalayas, which do not respect borders.

What should be the course of action?

South Asia’s ecological continuities make the case for regional cooperation on climate-related matters. Therefore, India and Pakistan must come together during negotiations at the UNFCCC. The Subcontinent could learn from ASEAN’s initiative to draft a State of Climate Report on the eve of COP-26 last year, which promotes cooperation and collaboration in the region.

There should be data sharing mechanisms on rainfall, river flows, as well as flood alert systems.

There can be a common renewable energy-dominated electricity grid, which could substantially reduce the climate vulnerability of people in South Asia.

Both India and Pakistan must seize the moment (flood 2022) to help those stranded in the flooding in Pakistan. India considers itself the “first responder” in the neighborhood. India has helped Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Afghanistan during a such humanitarian crises.