Climate change is a devastatingly alarming issue in the present-day world. The last decade was declared the hottest in history. These years have seen a series of deadly and devastating events, with 2010 being declared the hottest year in the last 131 years. 2010 marked the beginning of climate change consequences becoming apparent. It was the time when clear signals of human-driven extreme events fully emerged and affected the lives of millions worldwide. In July 2010, Western Russia faced temperatures above 100°F for the first time on record in Moscow. As wildfires broke out, they turned the sky a sickening yellowish-orange in the capital city.
In the same year, Pakistan experienced a jet stream that buckled in such a way that it directed the full fury of the Asian monsoon into the mountainous country, resulting in devastating floods that affected 18 million people and killed at least 1800. Drought in East Africa plunged the region into a famine crisis. In 2011 and 2012, in Somalia alone, famine claimed the lives of more than a quarter of a million people. In 2015, India and Pakistan faced their worst heat wave, with temperatures reaching up to 120 degrees and resulting in at least 4000 deaths. Severe wildfires have expanded their reach in recent years, including throughout the Amazon rainforest and the carbon-rich forests of Siberia and Alaska.
Scientific warnings and activists in the streets were not enough to compel leaders to act during the annual UN climate negotiations held in Madrid in December 2019. But after the lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic when industries were closed, positive changes in climate were observed. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Services (CAMS) announced that the largest hole ever seen in the ozone layer over the Arctic has closed. The lockdown was indeed a prominent sign of natural balance and restoration of the ozone layer.
At the beginning of 2022, a severe heat wave in Cholistan impacted water reservoirs, vegetation, and livestock due to an abnormal increase in daily maximum temperatures. A heat stress situation arose in the Cholistan region, and the intensity of the major heat wave persisted for 41 days, despite the region receiving a sufficient amount of rainfall during the winter. The severe heat wave caused an alarming situation. In the same year, Balochistan’s district Dera Bugti, faced drought conditions, and people were forced to drink water from ponds, leading to a cholera outbreak in the region. German Watch ranked Pakistan among the top 20 hottest countries in the world facing extreme consequences of climate change.
Then the monsoon season arrived in the region, and 80% of Balochistan’s land was filled with water. Tempests and heavy storm downpours in Pakistan caused widespread flash floods and avalanches across the nation. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), up to 33 million individuals were impacted by the floods, and 85 areas in total were declared ‘catastrophe-hit’ zones by the Public Authority of Pakistan. According to the NDMA, 32 areas in Balochistan were designated as catastrophe-hit, affecting an estimated total of 9,182,616 individuals. Additionally, 242 thousand houses were reported to be damaged in Balochistan alone.
In Balochistan, the food insecurity rate was already at 41% of the population at the emergency or crisis level (IPC). This was due to several factors, including the heat waves in the first half of 2022. However, heavy storm rains and flooding from July onwards worsened the situation, leading to a tragic period of agricultural production and significant livestock losses. This disaster exacerbated food security concerns, as the impact of the flooding on farming was particularly severe (OCHA).
Furthermore, from December 2022 until the end of winter, local people faced an extremely harsh winter season, some without shelter and with minimal clothing and food. In a country where 64% of the population resides in rural areas and relies on agricultural production, immediate actions were needed to restore its economic balance.
Balochistan’s reconstruction of infrastructure and rehabilitation of flood-affected individuals are still not entirely complete. Despite being one of the lowest CO2-emitting areas in the world, Balochistan is facing extreme climate change impacts, posing severe existential threats and dangers.
“We don’t have time to sit on our hands as our planet burns. For young people, climate change is bigger than an election or re-election. It’s life or death.” – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez