Lack of #StorageSystem, green cover multiplied impact of $Floods

#Islamabad : The lack of a #WaterStorage system and the removal of green cover multiplied the impact of recent devastating floods that adversely affected some 33 million people in #Pakistan.

According to the details, the initial assessment of the massive floods clearly showed that dams were not constructed to store water due to which the rivers swelled during #MonsoonSeason and their Water rushed towards those areas lying close to them.

Similarly, the green cover that always helps reduce the impact of floods has mostly been removed from both sides of the rivers to build houses and other structures.

Now Pakistan is likely to bear the brunt of both major weather systems as one can cause high temperatures and drought and the other can bring devastating monsoon rains.

The climate change ministry is continuously reviewing the facts and figures and has come to the conclusion that global warming is making air and sea temperatures rise, leading to more evaporation. Warmer air holds more moisture, making monsoon rainfall more intense.

A recent study showed that global heating is making the South Asian monsoon more intense and more erratic, with each 1C rise in global temperature leading to more rains.

An official said that the government is already trying to guess what is going to happen in the upcoming monsoon season because any kind of flooding can create a more troubling situation for the government which is already facing problems to rehabilitate flood-hit people and redevelop damaged infrastructure in one-third of the country.

“The record revealed that weather system La Niña is behaving very strongly in some metrics and is a significant factor for enhancing monsoonal rains in Pakistan and this region as well,” he said.

He said, “Pakistan can again be vulnerable to extremes and the whiplash from unprecedented heat (May to July) this year followed by a strong monsoon that can also severely impact the people.”