ISLAMABAD: A scientific study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA), an international climate expert group, has found overwhelming evidence of climate change exacerbating the recent catastrophic floods and heatwaves earlier this year and asked Pakistan. is to seek compensation from developed countries for losses and damages. With an urgent push to reduce carbon emissions.
“We found that 5-day maximum rainfall in Sindh and Baluchistan provinces is now about 75% more intense than if the climate had not warmed by 1.2°C, while 60-day rainfall in the basin is now about 50% more intense. . Heavy, meaning that this heavy rain is now more likely,” WWA said in a report released on Thursday.
Record monsoon rains and unprecedented floods from snowmelt in the northern mountains killed 1,500 people in a population of 220 million, according to nationwide figures released Thursday by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). 33 million people were displaced and swept away. Damage to homes, vehicles, crops and livestock is estimated at $30 billion.
The NDMA said millions of people have been displaced by floods in Sindh province, with many sleeping on elevated highways and roadsides to escape the water.
Floods number around 1,500; The Gates Foundation donates $7.5 million to aid.
The WWA report was co-authored by 26 experts from 20 international universities, think tanks and institutions on climate change, climate, ecology, geography, environmental sciences, public health and disaster management.
“Extreme rainfall in the region has increased by 50-75% and some climate models suggest that this increase may be entirely due to human-induced climate change, although there is considerable uncertainty in the results” about the drivers of variability in excess precipitation, including, but not limited to, to, climate change, the report said.
“As chair of the G77, the country should use this evidence at COP27 to urge the world to reduce emissions urgently.” “Pakistan should also ask developed countries to accept responsibility and provide aid to countries and populations in addition to adaptation and loss and damage”. The authors of the report said.
Flood relief
Also on Thursday, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced a humanitarian aid of about 7.5 million dollars for the flood-affected people of Sindh and Balochistan.
In a letter to the US Ambassador to Pakistan, Masood Khan, Foundation President Christopher Elias wrote that their polio program will also support 1,200 health camps run by the Aga Khan University in flood-affected areas.
Meanwhile, the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC), which brings together 15 of the UK’s leading relief charities, has raised £25 million for its Pakistan Flood Appeal in just two weeks to help flood victims. .
In addition, Thailand’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Wijawat Asarbhakdi on Thursday presented a cash donation of 14 million baht to Yasir Hussain, Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistani Embassy in Bangkok.
Responding to Pakistan’s appeal, the Swiss government has deployed the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) in Pakistan. The unit is currently working in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where it is renovating schools to enable more than 900 children to return to their classrooms.
Amin Ahmed in Islamabad and Anwar Iqbal in Washington also contributed to this report.
