Nature Strikes Back

An environmental disaster or ecological disaster is defined as a catastrophic event regarding the natural environment that is due to human activity. This point distinguishes environmental disasters from other disturbances such as natural disasters and intentional acts of war such as nuclear bombings. Natural disasters  include all geophysical, meteorological and climate events including earthquakes, volcanic activity, landslides, drought, wildfires, storms, and flooding. Environmental disasters show how the impact of humans' alteration of the land has led to widespread and long-lasting consequences. These disasters have included deaths of wildlife, humans and plants, deforestation, or severe disruption of human life or health, possibly requiring migration. Some environmental disasters are the trigger source of more expansive environmental conflicts, where affected groups try to socially confront the actors responsible for the disaster. Environmental disasters have historically affected agriculture, wildlife biodiversity, the economy, and human health. The most common causes include pollution that seeps into groundwater or a body of water, emissions into the atmosphere, and depletion of natural resources, industrial activity, and agricultural practices. Since 1976 till todate, the world has suffered from numerous Ecological Disasters due to Climate Change caused by Global Warming. A 2013 report examined the relationship between disasters and poverty world-wide. It concludes that, without concerted action, there could be upwards of 325 million people living in the 49 countries most exposed to the full range of natural hazards and climate extremes in 2040.

Most experts believe that ‘though developed countries with access to resources that can help mitigate environmental disasters often contribute the most to factors that can increase the risk of said disasters; yet, developing countries experience the impacts of environmental disasters more intensely than their wealthier counterparts’. It is often the case that the populations that do not contribute to climate change, have fewer resources to mitigate the impact of the disasters. Nevertheless, this argument does not absolve the less developed countries like Pakistan from the real responsibility to ensure better down-to-earth governance by the Legislature, effective management by the Executive and fair and timely dispensation of justice by the Judiciary. These three branches or pillars of the government represent the fundamental components of a functional  system of governance, each with distinct roles and responsibilities to ensure a balance of power, smooth and transparent government functions with accountability.  However, the efforts to put a blanket on the real issues by disinformation is more disturbing i.e. erroneously attributing the flooding and landslides only to Cloud Burst Phenomenon (a cloudburst is a sudden, intense, and localized downpour of rain, often exceeding 100mm per hour, and can lead to flash floods. It's characterized by a short duration and a high volume of rainfall over a relatively small area). Most of the experts appearing on TV channels are hesitant to touch upon the real reasons for recurrent disasters caused due to Timber mafias’ tree cutting in the hilly areas causing earth erosion, landslides, flash floods; and hand in glove land mafias who have constructed housing schemes and commercial use buildings all over the country on the river beds, on natural waterways and precarious hill slopes.

At the global levels, the suffering countries have have been making many attempts throughout recent years to mitigate the impact of environmental disasters. Scientists have long warned that climate change is making monsoons more mercurial, local cloud bursts more furious and glacier melting more devastating, which has more to do with human failure. Climate change is likely to escalate in the coming years. If the Government of Pakistan is really serious in avoiding such frequent catastrophes, the Timber and Land Mafias have to be punished severely and eliminated once for all. To do list for the government must include: massive afforestation through national mobilisation plan, stop converting hills into crush and cement, proper watershed management including construction of dams, bridges and strong embankments, provision of comprehensive disaster management resources at all vulnerable places through NDMA, modern weather warning systems, removal of all constructions hindering  natural waterways and located dangerously close to water channels, and on precarious mountain slopes. Just drive on all roads leading to Murree/AJK, GB/ NA, and Swat/ Malakand(KPK) and see more disasters in the making.

It goes without saying that the Almighty  has made Earth as a self-suntanning, exquisite and most caring resort for mankind; however, when some bad people begin to play against God’s scheme of things, Nature Strikes Back, which no human efforts can escape!