Flood management: Act Now!

While these may be mere statistics on the surface, it is a reflection on the negligible improvement in disaster management brought about in Pakistan over the last 60 years. Needless to say, statistics can never indicate the severe emotional and economic loss that the affected people have to face.
The magnanimity of the disaster can be gauged by UNs estimate that one million people have already been affected by the floods. Add to this the turmoil the region had been facing due to the war in the region, which had displaced nearly two million people, and one cannot even come close to imagining how much the locals have suffered.
The calamity is fast cascading into a health catastrophe as clean water supplies and outbreak of cholera have been reported in Swat, one of the worst-hit districts.
Small business owners and shopkeepers also have a woeful tale to tell as many of their set-ups including small shops and home-based factories have been completely washed away. According to initial estimates by related professionals, up to Rs14-16 billion worth of crops and livestock have also been lost.
Poor disaster management in the country gets to bear the blame for the losses the locals are going through. According to a report presented in 2005 in the UNs World Conference for Disaster Reduction, disaster management policies in Pakistan are strategically biased towards areas of political and economic importance.
A lack of coordination between government departments is another predicament hindering the effective management of such catastrophes as despite having 16 government departments involved in flood management efforts, significant contributions from only two or three have been heard of.
The inadequacy of resources with the institutions, and most importantly, a lack of sustainable disaster management framework, which is concentrated more on post-disaster scenarios rather than planning and preparing beforehand, is a major trigger to the ordeal.
The long-term repercussions of indifference from public institutions and leaders of the country, who choose to venture overseas in the middle of a national crisis, is that doors will possibly be open for militant groups to offer help and gain popular support.
Effects on mainstream development will also be devastating as loss of property and businesses will spur poverty in the already struggling region.
There is an urgent need to control and synergise relief efforts between institutions and provinces, as the changes in water dynamics due to global warming are not shining bright for the future. Water flow through the Indus is expected to become more erratic in the years to come, leading to higher frequency of floods and droughts.
The current scenario is just a glimpse of what the future might have to offer. A greater coordination, not only between provinces, but also with neighbouring India is required since floods are not just a local issue but are likely to become a major regional problem.