The floods are not yet over, as the water has not yet gone down. But at least it is no longer rising. Though more rain is expected later in the month, it is not likely to add substantially to what are already horrendous figures: three million people displaced, 1000 people dead, and $10 billion in economic losses. Issues of rebuilding washed-away roads and bridges are there, but probably subordinate to more immediate ones of how to house so many people, and feed them. Providing them replacements for lost housing is also an issue. The government has done well to start raising funds for flood relief, but how is it going to ensure that the money is spent wisely and carefully?
There are problems hiding behind the problems. Farmers of flooded lands have not just lost their crops, but cities have lost the food they provided. Already, the prices of such humble vegetables as garlic, onions and tomatoes have begun to go through the roof. With the country in the middle of a foreign exchange crisis, it is difficult to see how these will be paid for. The only food item Pakistan use to import was edible oil. Past mismanagement has added wheat and sugar, and now vegetables will have to be imported. Apart from the foreign exchange implications, the inflationary effects will be horrendous on a population which is already undergoing huge inflation. Keeping the displaced population healthy is another challenge, which the healthcare system is not up to.
One of the losses caused by the present floods from which we may never recover is the upsetting of all those local ecosystems because of the death by drowning of vital feral components, both plant and animal. The loss of biodiversity is not being counted, but it is going to affect in untold ways in the future. We also need to remember that these floods are not a one-off. Even before the damage caused by these floods is repaired, fresh floods, of nearly the same magnitude, will arrive. That is the blessing that global warming is bringing.
