CLIMATE CHANGE: THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF FLOODS IN PAKISTAN


Shaista Tabassum1


ABSTRACT

Some unusual natural calamities have attracted the attention of environmentalists towards the rapidly occurring changes in the earth’s climatic system. Pakistan, which is located at the cross roads of Middle East and Central Asia, is also experiencing such climatic change. The floods in two consecutive years 2010 and 2011 badly damaged the infrastructure and economy in Pakistan. The most unfortunate aspect has been our inability to record and learn lessons from these natural disasters. These unlearnt lessons can help in improving our poor administration and disaster management planning, the absence of which only leads to an increase in the impact of such a calamity. This paper studies the socio- economic impact of floods in Pakistan. The socio economic impacts of flood are directly related to the politics in Pakistan. There is an increase in public frustration which has ultimately come out in the form of a rise in the political chaos, anti government sentiments, intolerance and violence in the society.  
KEYWORDS: climate change, socio-economic impact, natural climatic shift, floods.