Costs of a natural disaster
Synthesizing the cost of a natural disaster into a dollar-based estimate strips out the mental, emotional, and human costs of a natural disaster. It is easy to calculate economic costs,…
Natural disaster, social catastrophe
Pakistan’s economy is vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Pakistan, in 2016, stood at the fifth highest in the list of countries facing climate risk, according to the…
Natural disasters threaten Nepalese mountaineering
The climbing season in Nepal encountered massive disaster for the second straight year, as 18 people died in an avalanche at Mount Everest Base Camp triggered by the April 25…
The indignity of disaster
Human dignity is a universal concept. From religious theologies to Kantian ideas of freedom and ethics, there is an inherent dignity that forms the foundation of all laws and regulations.…
Heart & climate disaster
NOT only did the floods wash away fields, livestock, livelihood and homes, they also exacerbated the hunger and malnutrition crisis in the country and trapped communities in less-visible diseases, leaving…
The real disaster is the system
Prevention is better than cure’ and ‘History repeats itself’ are cliches that capture the painful reality of our country. Floods in Pakistan precipitate scarcity and poverty. Pakistan is an agricultural…
Disasters by design
When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE, the Romans had no clue that such a thing could ever happen. Therefore, they had no means to prevent the disaster that killed…
Manmade disaster
INTENSE rainfall is not uncommon in our plains and mountains. Rainfall exceeding 200mm has occurred several times in every province of Pakistan. ‘Climate change’, ‘cloudburst’ and ‘urban flooding’ are only…
Disaster foresight
The recent floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, generally attributed to cloudbursts, caught both the government and local communities off guard. These events highlighted a significant gap in climate change adaptation policies…
Scheduled disasters
Despite the devolution of the Disaster Management Authorities post the 18th Amendment to the provinces, there has been little or no contingency planning for rain-induced disasters. Those who credited good…
