“1/3 of Pakistan is underwater” which means one third of some 340,000 square miles is underwater. Approximately 200 million people live in Pakistan.
Is Pakistan a popular nation? Not really, it is based in the global south, a third world nation, neighbour to India, with whom it shares native soils. Politically Pakistan is on shaky ground, globally used as friend and foe – depending on the direction of political winds.
Lines on maps do not change geography, genetics or shared catastrophes. So is it a stretch to say what is happening in Pakistan is essentially happening in India? Much like the drought in Europe when the Rhine dries up in a human carved out nation of Germany- Spain, Portugal, France and other neighbours take careful notes.
Because political lines are for maps and politicians. Natural resources are for people and living. Amid all the political name calling and political struggles, the families affected are like yours and mine. These families are average people who go about their days carrying out such mundane tasks as attending school, going to work and shopping for groceries.
BBC News reports among the millions of displaced are of a 12 year girl in Pakistan caring for her baby sister.
Is climate change the only reason for the devastation to Pakistan, or the drought in Europe? No. It contributes greatly, has a significant role and impact and to ignore it is to be an ostrich. Human incompetence and greed feature prominently in climate catastrophes and disasters.
We watch in mute horror and shake our heads as we realised this little girl we just met, is trapped in this country turned ocean. She’s wading through flood waters, clutching her baby sister, we do not know if they are reunited with their family or ever will be.
But you see the Global south (it used to be the third world until political correctness came along) are hardy, after all they live in malaria riddled polluted dirty cities. Not entirely untrue, but why do they live as they do? Do they not have the will to lift themselves out of this miserable life?
They do, so does our little wonder woman who is carrying around her baby sister wading through flood waters. Lifting one’s self out of poverty, pain or illness has many common threads. It relies on perseverance, strength (of character and physical). But it undeniably relies on a helping hand.
Pakistan's devastating floods:
– 1350 people killed
– 50M people displaced
– 900K livestock deaths
– 1M houses washed away
– 40+ reservoirs breached
– 220+ bridges collapsed
– 90% cropped damaged
– $10B loss to economy
– 1/3 country underwater
Source – PDMA / NDMA
Originally tweeted by South Asia Index (@SouthAsiaIndex) on August 29, 2022.
And how do we know borders are really lines on maps? Parallel flooding and water disasters in Bengaluru, India, all in the same week.
Politicians and corporations debate and pledge to cut emissions in the meanwhile what happens to the children and soon your children?
All we can think about is a 12 year old child caring for her infant sister and we will never know if they survived.
Leafy Fox 