Pakistan floods pose serious health challenges

Sarkar, Sonia

doi:10.1136/bmj.o2141

Cited by 36 publications

(35 citation statements)

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“…Further health risks include the potentially stunted growth of children resulting from malnutrition and the disruption of a polio vaccine rollout programme. 25 Damages are expected to exceed preliminary estimates of $10 bn. 26 Pakistan contributes less than 1% of global carbon emissions.…”

Section: Extreme Monsoonal Rainfall and Glacialmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate finance in Asia: Assessing the state of climate finance in one of the world’s most climate vulnerable regions

Roy¹

2022

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Asia is particularly vulnerable to climate hazards including extreme temperatures, flooding, droughts, cyclones, and sea level rise. The most vulnerable communities need financial support to help adapt to the climate crisis -they cannot do so alone. Developed countries have promised $100 bn in climate finance to developing countries every year until 2025. This promise has not been met. Asian countries have outlined the support they require and delivering on these needs is integral to bringing climate justice to those most vulnerable to -yet least responsible for -the climate crisis. We find that the climate finance provided to Asia is woefully inadequate to support the necessary adaptation actions and vulnerable communities are suffering as a result.

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Section: Extreme Monsoonal Rainfall and Glacialmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate finance in Asia: Assessing the state of climate finance in one of the world’s most climate vulnerable regions

Roy¹

2022

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“…This is caused by a significant temperature rise in the country during the past 6 decades; the average temperature has risen to half a degree Celsius (Chaudhry et al, 2009), triggering several disastrous events, such as floods, droughts, and biological hazards. Series of extreme droughts in the late 1990s to early 2000s (Khan et al, 2020a), four deadly floods between 2010-2014 and disastrous floods of 2022 (Shah et al, 2021;Sarkar, 2022), and a recent climate-led locust outbreak (Khatri, 2019) are a few examples. Such catastrophes are alarming for a developing nation like Pakistan, which mainly relies on agriculture and associated sectors that are highly sensitive to climatic variations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the floods of 2010, Pakistan's agriculture sector faced a loss of over one million hectares of unharvested crops and 1.5 million livestock resulting in a loss of over US$10 billion to the poor economy (Shah et al, 2018). The recent flood of 2022 that wreaked havoc in Pakistan, washing out one-third of the country, displacing three million people, and causing unprecedented loss of human lives, crops, and livestock, is believed to be more disastrous than the historic 2010 floods, which is mainly caused by unexpected monsoon rainfall in the country (Sarkar, 2022). Such calamities are significant threats to people's livelihoods as agriculture provides subsistence to the millions of farm households in Pakistan.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rice farmers’ perceptions about temperature and rainfall variations, respective adaptation measures, and determinants: Implications for sustainable farming systems

Khan

Shah

Chowdhury

et al. 2022

Front. Environ. Sci.

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In Pakistan, climate change is adversely affecting agricultural production and undermining the food security and subsistence of millions of farm households. Farmers’ understanding of climate change and their adaptation strategies can serve as a useful step to help minimize climate risks. This study explores farmers’ perception of and adaptation strategies to climate change and their determinants in the rice-growing zone of Punjab province, as this region of the country is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts. The multistage stratified-random sampling method was used to select 480 farmers from the four rice districts of the region, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Logistic regression and contingency tables are used to analyze the determinants of farmers’ adopted strategies and adaptation extent (number of adopted strategies). Results show that farmers perceived significant changes in the climate, including the rise in average summer and winter temperatures and the decline in overall precipitation. The study further found that farmers’ adopted adaptation strategies include supplementary irrigation, adjustments in rice cultivation dates, crop diversification, use of climate-smart varieties, better fertilizer management, and farm resizing. Logit model showed that farmers’ age, primary occupation, income, landholding, access to irrigation, credit, climate information, and farm advisory appeared to be the significant determinants of their adaptation decision. The adaptation extent strongly correlates with farmers’ education and access to climate information and credit services. Based on these findings, this study suggests the relevant institutions improve farmers’ access to irrigation water, credit, farm advisory, and climate information to improve their adaptation extent and hence resilience of the rice-farming system.

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“…Early estimates indicate that five million people, including children, are at a high risk from the outbreak of waterborne and vectorborne diseases. 5 Doctors and relief workers have reported that many people are experiencing emotional trauma because of the flooding, as well as hundreds of cases of diarrhoea, skin infections, and other waterborne diseases among all age groups. Pregnant and lactating women are at particular risk, with more than 70 000 women expected to deliver in September 2022.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Pregnant and lactating women are at particular risk, with more than 70 000 women expected to deliver in September 2022 6. Clean drinking water is not available in areas that were ravaged by floods and there is a risk of outbreaks of diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid, gastroenteritis, dengue, and malaria 57. Diseases like malaria, polio, and covid-19 are more likely to flare up, particularly in camps where water and sanitation facilities have been damaged.…”

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confidence: 99%

Record flooding in Pakistan poses major health risks

Bhamani¹

2022

BMJ

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The recent record floods in Pakistan are the biggest natural disaster in the history of the country. Satellite images show the great extent of land submerged in inland lakes. 1 The United Nations secretary general António Guterres described the flooding as a "monsoon on steroids." 2 More than 1100 people have been killed so far and three million others have been affected in one of the country's worst monsoon seasons in over a decade. 2 3 Rescue efforts have been hampered thus far due to socioeconomic and geopolitical factors. Swathes of villages and towns have been washed away or submerged in flood waters. The unprecedented floods have destroyed houses, cattle, and crops that were ready for cultivation.Climate activists and experts say that although Pakistan only contributes 1% to global carbon emissions, its share of the catastrophic effects of climate change is colossal. 4 The areas most destroyed by floods are rural, with prevailing health, education, and resource inequities. The floods have not only added to the burden these areas face, but could unravel the minimal progress that has been made in elevating quality of life with access to health, education, and livelihood opportunities. The assessment of the total damage of the flooding, including loss of lives, houses, infrastructure, cultivable land, and livelihoods is not yet complete. The statistics are likely to unveil a bleaker situation.Competing interest: The author declares no competing interest. SB works for an academic medical centre which is closely engaged in flood relief by providing basic healthcare.

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Pakistan floods pose serious health challenges

Abstract: With a third of Pakistan inundated by the floods that have affected more than 33 million people, local relief workers and public health experts have said that they are fearing a rise in several waterborne and mosquito-borne diseases and skin infections. 1 2

Cited by 36 publications

References 0 publications

Climate finance in Asia: Assessing the state of climate finance in one of the world’s most climate vulnerable regions

Climate finance in Asia: Assessing the state of climate finance in one of the world’s most climate vulnerable regions

Rice farmers’ perceptions about temperature and rainfall variations, respective adaptation measures, and determinants: Implications for sustainable farming systems

Record flooding in Pakistan poses major health risks

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