IT is shameful that Pakistan’s largest city and economic powerhouse cannot withstand rainfall. What begins as a time for rejoicing quickly turns into despair for much of the city, as Karachi’s inhabitants contend with flooded roads and houses, overflowing sewerage lines, extended power failures, and traffic congestion. Almost as if making up for the scant rainfall received last year, on Monday and Tuesday the city received 164mm of rain. Tragically, and almost without fail, death inevitably follows the visit of the monsoons. In keeping with the pattern of past years, a number of deaths were recorded from rain-related accidents after continuous rainfall lashed Karachi and other parts of Sindh. Most lost their lives from electrocution due to poorly maintained electricity poles and open wires, while in at least one instance, a man died when the roof of his house collapsed on him. All these deaths and injuries could have been avoided had the provincial and local governing bodies’ paid closer attention to the neglected urban infrastructure before the rains arrived. It is not as if Karachi has not witnessed death and destruction following even moderate or low levels of rainfall in its recent history. Just earlier this year, several people died from electrocution following mild rainfall in the winter. Then there is the issue of urban flooding that engulfs the city intermittently, witnessed before in 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2017. According to experts, the causes of flooding remain poor urban planning, with unchecked housing and encroachments being built on the city’s natural waterways, in addition to the dumping of solid waste into its drainage network.

Approximately half of the city’s population lives in densely packed slums that are built directly on top of waterways and drains. In a cruel twist of fate, the International Organisation for Migration has estimated that a large chunk of these slum inhabitants are themselves climate-change refugees, who moved to the city after facing natural disasters such as flooding and drought in other parts. Additionally, with rapid urbanisation and deforestation, Karachi’s increasing concrete spaces do not allow water to be naturally absorbed into the soil. Climate change will only exacerbate these problems in the coming years, for which we are not prepared. True, we cannot always predict the weather. But it is a pity that we have not equipped ourselves adequately to deal with its challenges.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2019