The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the opinions of The Conglomerate nor Centenary College. 

It has come to my understanding that many Americans have, unfortunately, not been referring to Pakistan as an individual country. Of course, this does not apply to everyone, but many raised under the US school system often group Pakistan with the other “-stan” countries of the middle east or consider it (along with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) to be a part of a greater sum known as India. In contrast, Pakistan has a rich history that fortifies its individuality, including its independence from British India, the migration of Muslims seeking a homeland, and its nine-month-long war that resulted in Bangladesh’s independence. As of 2022, over 230 million people call Pakistan their home, and they respect the diversity that exists between the country’s regions regarding language and culture. What is almost always forgotten by the western hemisphere, however, is the sheer beauty of Pakistan’s natural features and the dramatic range in its climate.

A “normal” year for Pakistan’s climate consists of a cool, dry winter from December to February, a hot, dry summer from March to May, and a rainy summer containing a monsoon period from June to November. For centuries, the people of Pakistan have gotten acquainted with summer monsoons, which have averaged an annual rainfall of 13.3 cm leading up to 2005 according to the Pakistan Journal of Meteorology, but the 2022 monsoon period has ramped up the year’s rainfall, equaling 2.9 times the national 30-year average.

What does this mean for Pakistani residents?

Displacement from homes, billions of dollars lost in infrastructure, and the loss of family members. Since the start of August, over one million homes have been damaged, displacing 500,000 people who are currently sheltered in camps. Compounding the loss of homes is the loss of livestock, which diminishes the food source for the now struggling population. This year’s monsoons are actually Pakistan’s second climate crisis in recent history, following the Pakistani floods of 2010. Twelve years ago, Pakistan lost 43 billion dollars in infrastructure as 10,000 schools, 500 clinics, and 5,000 miles of railways and roads were destroyed. One year after, they only received 1.3 billion dollars from international aid and humanitarian organizations. Statistics comparing the floods from 2010 to this year show the frightening possibility of this year’s floods surpassing its predecessor as it runs its course. It has already surpassed the 2010 floods when it comes to livestock killed and has just about matched the 2010 floods in fatalities.

The true tragedy of it all is that Pakistan is burdened with the consequences of every nations’ actions, especially the actions of China and the United States. Many researchers and meteorologists believe that the increase in monsoon flooding is correlated with the rise of global warming, which is evidently linked with the amount of greenhouse gasses produced in the atmosphere. Pakistan makes up about 3 percent of the world population, yet they only produce 0.5 percent of the world’s CO2 emission. In stark contrast, China and the US produce about 30 and 14 percent of the world’s CO2 emission respectively. Also correlated with the rising rainfall in Pakistan is the melting of glaciers, of which Pakistan has the most of out of non-polar countries. Again, this change in nature is anything but natural. Human irresponsibility regarding fossil fuels has plagued the Earth to the point where hopes of preserving glaciers are quickly fading.

At the start of this article, I discussed the natural beauty of Pakistan, which is celebrated by both residents and tourists alike. In 2020, Pakistan made a large effort amid the pandemic to preserve their natural habitats through the Green Stimulus Initiative. Unfortunately, not enough people in the world have adopted the “green” mindset. What I want to firmly establish in this article through the events occurring in Pakistan is we must be cautious as we expand industries, invent new machines, and grow our cities. Otherwise, we may all eventually experience the consequences that we are witnessing in Pakistan, a prideful country that has been forced to beg for foreign aid.

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