Floods 2022: Situation, Response, Blind Spots, and Way Forward
Encroachment an underlying
cause of disaster; at least
Rs. 400 bn required for recovery

on 06/01/2023

Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam and Centre for Business and Economic Research (CBER), Institute of Business Administration Karachi jointly organized a special webinar titled “Floods 2022: Situation, Response, Blind Spots, and Way Forward” on 1st September 2022. Dr. Junaid Alam Memon, Director CBER, moderated the webinar and set the context by introducing the speakers.
Dr. Fateh Marri, Vice Chancellor Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam provided the status for the current situation of the disaster and emphasized the loss of economic activity, future productions, missed opportunities, and the limited capacity of human resources. He said that the universities of Pakistan are not only engaged in flood relief operations but are committed to providing policy advice, technical assistance, and setup solution-oriented research agenda.
Dr.Iqrar Ahmed Khan, Vice Chancellor of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad highlighted that drainage is the main issue for Sindh province due to its location and it requires attention. He also suggested that while providing food items to affected households, the feed for their livestock may also be part of their relief package. He hoped that the farmers would be able to cultivate wheat if lands become ready otherwise oilseeds are to be planned.
Dr. Mubarik Ahmed from TDAP confirmed that the agriculture losses to the country are huge, and among other crops, some 80% of the cotton in Sindh and 100% of the cotton crop in Baluchistan are affected. He warned that the disaster would result in reduced export and increase our dependence on food and seed imports.
Dr. Abdul Rehman, Pro Vice Chancellor, BUITMS, Quetta talked about damages to cities and pointed toward increased incidences of domestic violence, child labor, and various forms of harassment that often slip from disaster response initiatives.
Mr. Naseer Memon, Country Representative of Asian Disaster Preparedness Center Pakistan pointed out that the encroachment in the rural and urban areas is the underlying cause of the flood-induced disaster and held weak institutional capacity and lack of political will is responsible for that.
Dr. Shereen Narejo, former Chairperson of Planning, and Development Department Sindh spoke at a webinar that the issue of population growth is often missed in climate discourse and emphasized that disaster is our collective problem and requires collective action. She said that society as a whole has to take the required steps, and academia and others have to play their due role.
While concluding the webinar Mr. Fazullilah Qureshi, Former Federal Secretary, Planning Commission pointed out that floods may be a national catastrophe but of different magnitude for different provinces and suggested that Sindh is worst hit due to faulty projects such as LBOD. He said that a minimum amount of Rs. 400 billion be allocated for flood recovery for Sindh by federal and provincial governments by reducing unnecessary expenditures. He proposed to have an oversight body including government, academia, and civil society for flood recovery works and funds management.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Chairman Higher Education Commission informed that HEC has created a sizable research fund specifically to support evidence-based and solution-oriented research to address current and future natural disasters. He said that the higher education sector is fully aware of the situation and public and private sector universities are playing their role in relief work. The webinar was attended by Dr. Qamar u Zaman, Vice Chancellor, Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Dr. Robina Wihaj of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and others

IIL Construction Solutions-Raising the Construction Standards

on 06/01/2023

Lakecity Roof Gardens, a luxurious apartment project of Lakecity developers, is under construction at a prime location near the ring road, Lahore. The project is currently at the very early stages of construction and will take approx. 3 years to complete. Lakecity roof gardens project is spread over a covered area of approx.785,000 sq. ft. having 3 towers with 11 floors in addition to a basement and ground floor. Top management & contracting companies will play their part in this massive project.
Among the temporary construction materials that will be used for the construction of this mega project, steel ring lock shoring towers, adjustable steel props, and state-of-the-art slab& wall formwork systems will be seen in use for construction courtesy of IIL Construction Solutions Pvt. Ltd. who has introduced these innovative, safe, and efficient solutions in Pakistan for the industry to adopt for simple &smart construction. The formwork solution will be put into use in collaboration with our formwork partner MEVA Formwork Systems under the supervision of their project engineer.
Shoring solutions offer the most flexibility and tend to be the safest of all shoring systems,which is mainly because of their adaptability to handle various types of product loads, whereas, the modular formwork systems are ideal for giving quick and easy support to the slabs & walls of high-rise structures leading to faster completion of work that is to be followed.
IIL Construction Solutions Pvt. Ltd. is a one-stop solution provider of modular & safe scaffolding, shoring, and formwork systems in partnership with Germany-based formwork manufacturer – MEVA Formwork Systems. The company envisions redefining construction in Pakistan through its innovative solutions of the highest quality standards. IIL Construction Solutions is a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Industries Limited (IIL) – Pakistan’s largest manufacturer of pipes & tubes, which is a member of the Amir S. Chinoy Group of companies

Pakistan Cables donates 2,000 trees to Clifton Urban Forest

on 06/01/2023

To mark the 75th Independence Day, Pakistan Cables employee volunteers visited the Clifton Urban Forest in Karachi for a plantation drive, supporting the Company’s commitment to environmental conservation. The Company pledged 2,000 trees to the forest, which is spread across 250 acres in Clifton, Karachi.
The plantation drive was led by Mr. Fahd K. Chinoy, CEO, Pakistan Cables Ltd alongside the Company employee volunteers. Mr. Masood Lohar, CEO, Clifton Urban Forest appreciated the Company’s efforts and shared future plans for expansion of the Clifton Urban Forest.
Pakistan Cables is one of the few local companies which are signatories to the Business Commitment to Net Zero. In 2021, the Company inaugurated Pakistan’s first and largest, Miyawaki-based Urban Forest on an industrial estate, which is home to over 47,000 trees to date. — PR

What monsoon 2022 left for Balochistan? Balochistan needs speedy rehabilitation of canal system, examination of all dams

on 06/01/2023

Now that the sky is blue after an unprecedented spell of monsoon in Balochistan has come to an end, scars of such heavy downpours left on the province are becoming visible, and demand for a swift rehabilitation process in the province.
A presentation made by a senior engineer of Balochistan Engr. Nasir Majeed in a major moot of the Water Resources Thinktank of Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) revealed that the monsoon rains which broke historic records of downpours severely damaged the canal irrigation system of the province.
Since this system is the backbone of the province and irrigates one million acres of land in the Naseerabad Division, Balochistan demands the restoration of the system immediately.
The moot in which another senior engineer of Balochistan Engr. Salam also participated in the province demanded that a team of Water Experts from the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEEEC) or well-reputed consultants at the national level may be constituted to review the hydrological and structural design parameters of all small and medium dams of the province to make recommendations for future planning by considering the climate change factor and recommend guidelines for the safety of the dams to sustain such abnormal rains.
The presentation further said:
A new Plan of Flood Management be developed/designed for low-lying & vulnerable areas which are always under threat, by considering all safety factors due to Climate Change.
The present capacity of the irrigation drainage canal is 2600 Cusecs, Which may be enhanced up to 6000 Cusecs to cater to flood water safely.
All the Hill Torrents hitting directly to the Canal system be properly managed through flood harvesting structures to mitigate damages.
It said Balochistan is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts given its inherent aridity and low and erratic precipitation. Severe droughts were recorded from 1973 to 75, 1998 to 2005, and 2009 to 2018.
The median annual rainfall ranges from just over 200 mm in the northeast to less than 50 mm in the southwest of the province. Generally, humidity is low ranging between 20-40%. So the Province falls in the arid zone.
Engr Nasir Majeed said all major dams and structures for storing water in Balochistan are safe. However, the rains have damaged many structures of these projects.
He indicated 19 works that he said should be taken on an emergency basis as restoration and improvement were required. These include the restoration and rehabilitation of three canals and a drainage system in Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, and Sohbatpur.
In Lasbela, the construction of Gagoo & Bela Town Protection Bund and the Rehabilitation of Tharrha Bund Bela Town is required.
In Harnai, Flood Protection Structure for Killi mirza and Killi lal khan, Killi ghareebad, Killi Marpani and Killi zawi, in Kech, Restoration and Improvement of Flood Protection Bund Left Bank of Kech Kaur, in Nushki, Restoration of Flood Protection Bund & Cunnet Killi Qadirabad and Restoration of Spillway Gazool Dam, Azdha Khol & Rako Dam, in Gwadar, Restoration of Ballar Dam Saddle Bund are required. Likewise, ten other restoration and rehabilitation works have also been indicated. – ER Report

World’s 10 worst climate hotspots suffer 123 percent rise in acute hunger

on 06/01/2023

Ten of the world’s worst climate hotspots–those with the highest number of UN appeals driven by extreme weather events–have suffered a 123 percent rise in acute hunger over just the past six years, according to an Oxfam report published this week.
Gabriela Bucher, Oxfam International Executive Director, said: “Climate change is no longer a ticking bomb, it is exploding before our eyes. It is making extreme weather such as droughts, cyclones, and floods – which have increased five-fold over the past 50 years – more frequent and more deadly.”
The brief, ‘Hunger in a heating world’ found that those 10 climate hotspots—Somalia, Haiti, Djibouti, Kenya, Niger, Afghanistan, Guatemala, Madagascar, Burkina Faso, and Zimbabwe—have repeatedly been battered by extreme weather over the last two decades. Today, 48 million people across those countries suffer acute hunger (up from 21 million in 2016), and 18 million people of them are on the brink of starvation.
“For millions of people already pummelled down by ongoing conflict, widening inequalities, and economic crises, repeated climate shocks are becoming a backbreaker. The onslaught of climate disasters is now outpacing poor people’s ability to cope, pushing them deeper into severe hunger,” said Bucher.
Somalia is facing its worst drought on record, and famine is expected to unfold in two of its districts: Baidoa and Burhakaba. One million people have been forced to flee their homes due to the drought. The country ranks 172nd out of 182 countries in terms of its readiness to cope with climate change.
In Kenya, the current drought has killed nearly 2.5 million livestock and left 2.4 million people hungry, including hundreds of thousands of children severely malnourished.
In Niger, 2.6 million people are facing acute hunger today (up 767 percent from 2016). Cereal production has crashed by nearly 40 percent, as frequent climatic shocks on top of ongoing conflict have made harvesting increasingly difficult. Production of staple foods such as millet and sorghum could plummet even further by 25 percent if global warming surpasses 2°C.
Burkina Faso has seen a staggering 1350 percent rise in hunger since 2016, with more than 3.4 million people in extreme hunger as of June 2022 due to armed conflict and worsening desertification of crop and pastoral lands. Global warming above 2°C would likely decrease cereal yields like millet and sorghum by 15–25 percent.
In Guatemala, a severe drought has contributed to the loss of close to 80 percent of the maize harvest and devastated coffee plantations.
Climate-fuelled hunger is a stark demonstration of global inequality. Countries that are least responsible for the climate crisis are suffering most from its impact and are also the least resourced to cope with it. Collectively responsible for just 0.13 percent of global carbon emissions, the 10 climate hotspots sit in the bottom third of countries least ready for climate change.
In contrast, polluting industrialized nations such as those of the G20 – which control 80 percent of the world’s economy – are together responsible for over three-quarters of the world’s carbon emissions.
Leaders of these nations continue to support mega-rich polluting companies that are often big supporters of their political campaigns. Fossil fuel companies’ daily profits have averaged $2.8 billion over the last 50 years. Less than 18 days of those profits would fund the entire UN humanitarian appeal for 2022 of $49 billion.
Important policy changes are equally needed to address the double crisis of climate and hunger. Unless massive and immediate action is taken, hunger will continue to spiral.
“Ahead of UN General Assembly meetings this week, and COP 27 in November, leaders, especially of rich polluting countries, must live up to their promises to cut emissions. They must pay for adaptation measures and loss and damage in low-income countries, as well as immediately inject lifesaving funds to meet the UN appeal to respond to the most impacted countries.
“We cannot fix the climate crisis without fixing the systemic inequalities in our food and energy systems. Increasing taxation on super polluters could easily cover the cost. Just 1 percent of the fossil fuel companies’ average annual profit would generate $10 billion, enough to cover most of the shortfall in funding the UN humanitarian food security appeal,” Bucher said.
Cancelling debt can also help governments free up resources to invest in climate mitigation.
“Rich and most polluting nations have a moral responsibility to compensate low-income countries most impacted by the climate crisis. This is an ethical obligation, not charity,” said Bucher. – (From Oxfam International Website)n