Climatic Chaos in Making

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Farhan Ahmed
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Climatic Chaos in Making

Post by Farhan Ahmed »

Climate is changing and I and You are witnesses of it. This winter was very different, heavy prolong rains ( at times 240 mm in 24 hrs /highly unusual for North), long spells of rains, prolong winters and now blazing summers......and to add to that wind storms as likes of yesterday with winds as high as 80 KPH.

This is not a prediction or assumptions but a near reality of which World and Pakistan Government are very well aware of.......

Earth is receding in our part of world by one inch, meaning by our coast is shrinking by one inch per year.....and some measure of this recession (precisely 0.8 cm) is added in height to the mountainous regions of Pakistan every year. This is resulting in climatic changes, as we all our observing........

1) Delay in onset of winter in plains.
2) Delay in offset of winters in higher plains/highlands.
3) Increased temperatures in summers in highlands.

In our organization as well as in Govt circles research work is underway and in fact have made conclusions. Pakistan is ranked as second most danger prone regions in the world due to climatic changes that are about to happen. Second only because the effect of this catastrophe will only be faced by Pakistan alone.

These studies have been taking place only after hue and cry of international research worker about the gravity of the situation. However, besides studies no concrete remedial measures are being taken.

What changes are we looking for

Short, harsh summer, Meaning by increase of 3.5 C (which is too much/ 1 Deg is enough to melt snow) in temperatures especially highlands.
Prolong winters. More snow & Rain.
Increase in altitude of mountains meaning by more temperatures in summers.

So what will happen is that there will be more snow but summers would be so intense that ice(which is greater in quantity now) will melt at colossal scale resulting in extreme flooding, whereas our waterways are not even able to cater for current flow of water especially in monsoon and summer.

Changes are already there but the extremities that i am talking about are envisaged around 30 years down the line.
Solution....minimum 30 odd dams to control this out flow of water.
Wonder why China has recently built world’s biggest Three Gorges Dam

Effect to gardeners.....
Climatic change disrupting crops cycle
Floods
Blazing sun
Extreme weather phenomenon
Tahir Khan
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Re: Climatic Chaos in Making

Post by Tahir Khan »

Can this also mean that our part of the world (Pakistan) slowly moving towards the western type climatic zone?? Heavy snow, sleet etc..
Farhan Ahmed
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Re: Climatic Chaos in Making

Post by Farhan Ahmed »

What we call west does not have glaciers as we do......This change will not be good for us because of melting of ice.
Tahir Khan
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Re: Climatic Chaos in Making

Post by Tahir Khan »

farhan137 wrote:What we call west does not have glaciers as we do......This change will not be good for us because of melting of ice.
Melting ice means rising sea levels, floods and... oh no Karachi :o
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Re: Climatic Chaos in Making

Post by Khalid Abro »

An eye opening article published in Dawn is here for the reading. Things have really been getting worse.

"Pakistan’s dangerous negligence of climate change"

Two important reports highlight urgent need of mitigation and adaptation to tackle climate change in Pakistan. Illustration by Faraz Aamir
Pakistan is no stranger to being plagued by multiple crises. News headlines are usually dominated by issues like terrorism, extremism and power shortage but an even more alarming danger could affect the future of Pakistan if it is not tackled on a priority basis.
The dangerous threat we all know as climate change has been virtually left off the radar by our less than visionary leaders when it comes to issues of national priority.
Environmental degradation costs Rs 365 billion annually to Pakistan and unsafe water and sanitation costs Rs 112 alone in terms of financial damage.
A comprehensive report was first highlighted in December 2012 which shows alarming trends of climate change in Pakistan.
The report entitled ‘Climate Change in Pakistan – focused on Sindh Province’ forecast low agricultural productivity from lack of water for irrigation and erratic rainfall. Conditions in the fertile Indus delta, already facing saline water intrusion and coastal erosion, are expected to deteriorate further.
Data gathered from 56 meteorological stations show heat waves increasing from 1980 to 2009, a period marked by glacier retreats, steadily rising average temperature in the Indus delta and changes in temperature pattern in summer and winter.
Ghulam Rasul, chief meteorologist at the Pakistan Meteorological Department and the main author of the report, told dawn.com that although Pakistan’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is low, it is among countries highly vulnerable to climate change.
Pakistan’s largely agrarian economy, Rasul noted, is mainly fed by the Hindu Kush-Karakoram and Himalayan (HKH) glaciers that are reported to be receding due to global warming. “Pakistan’s climate-sensitive agrarian economy now faces larger risks from variability in monsoon rains, floods and extended droughts.’
Rasul said many of Pakistan’s 5,255 glaciers have been steadily losing ice mass.
The report says that the Siachen Glacier has lost 17 per cent of ice during the past 21 years.
“I urge the world to assist Pakistan to deal with climate change because the melting of the ‘Third Pole’ could result in a decrease of sunlight reflections and add to a rise in global temperature,” Rasul added.
The report strongly recommends building of climate resilient infrastructure and monitoring of the changes.
It urges that water reservoirs be built at upper catchment areas of River Indus. It also stresses for minimum environmental flow of the Indus to the lowest level in order to avoid sea intrusion.
The folks of Indus Delta
The majority of the people in Pakistan (between 60 to 70 per cent) depend on the eco-system to survive. A shepherd in Balochistan, a farmer in Punjab or a fisherman from Sindh — all rely directly on the environment for their livelihood. Unfortunately, the livelihood of these people is at risk due to climate change.
From Balochistan to Sindh, Fishermen complained about the depleting fish resources in coastal areas. Photo by Reuters
A report titled ‘Community based Vulnerability Assessment’ produced by WWF Pakistan highlights the miseries of the people living in the Sindh Delta region. According to the report, Pakistan ranks at 16 in the Maplecrofts’s vulnerability index while Pakistan is also vulnerable according to German Watch Climate Risk Index.
The report, which was compiled with the support of the European Union, includes direct evidence and testimonials from the people living in the coastal areas of Keti Bunder, Kharo Chan and Jiwani who discussed the effect of climate change.
The report also reflects on the climate, environmental and economic impact on the coastal community.
Voices of the vulnerable
The report highlighted some direct and disturbing evidence from people living at the frontlines of climate change.
“About 10 years ago it used to get very cold, but now it seems as if there is very little winter and the heat has increased. In the last three years, it has rained very heavily,” a woman from Keti Bunder reveals.
Interestingly, this evidence confirms the report compiled by Rasul.
“We have been very unsuccessful because rain does not occur. We are selling our livestock. We do not know how to face climate change,” a male villager from Jiwani, Balochistan said.
“Due to rise in the temperature crops shrink,” another female interviewee from Kharo Chan said.
The report also states that almost all participants in Balochistan and Sindh agreed that the seasons and weather pattern has changed over the last 10 years.
Different ailments caused due to the rise in temperature have created further difficulties for the people, who were already living below the poverty line.
“There is malaria, diarrhea, itching and fever. In six months, we visit the doctor 5-6 times. Hospital is free but medicine can go up to Rs. 500. If we need further treatment, we have to go to Gwadar for which the traveling cost comes up to Rs 1000,” a woman from Jiwani said, adding that if the illness gets worse, the villagers need to go to Karachi which costs around Rs 15000.
Many farmers from Thatta ( Sindh) and Gwadar ( Balochistan) are facing agricultural challenges such as soil, infertility and shifting of rainfall along with the burden of debt.
According to the report, people working in the fields complained mainly about scarcity of water, droughts and uneven rainfall. Similarly, from Gwadar to Keti Bunder majority of fishermen shared their experience about depleting fish resources, low catch and said that some species had disappeared all together.
The findings of the report highlight an urgent need of mitigation, adaptations and awareness for the silent majority living in the coastal and deltaic areas of Pakistan. Pakistan should also take immediate steps to implement its first ever climate change policy and above all, an empowered institute is required to check and ensure the betterment of the River Indus – which is a life line for Pakistan.
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Re: Climatic Chaos in Making

Post by Muhammad Arif Khan »

YOU ARE TALKING BIG
In Pakistan every thing is left on God
Do you know we have no disaster plan for a Mishap at Karachi nuclear power plant, a high tidal wave hitting Karachi even if we get an advance warning, an earth quack hitting any big town. Sir we have no plans for the floods, well these are big things for people who have no disaster plan for a big jet passenger air craft crash landing on a runway or collision of trains. We have no plan for evacuation of our patients in any of our hospitals of border towns like Lahore in case of imminent enemy occupation.
Perhaps it is asking for too much when even we can’t fight fire above third story in our most developed cities.
All those who looted us in past and present are our Heroes. In past they used to come and plunder from north and now they are Local,
and we the idiots will keep inviting them to plunder as we used to centuries ago.
Farhan Ahmed
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Re: Climatic Chaos in Making

Post by Farhan Ahmed »

Agreed
Khalid Abro
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Re: Climatic Chaos in Making

Post by Khalid Abro »

And on top of it we dont have any food security plan in case of crises. In case of shortage our genius businessmen and industrialists will find market to make more money.
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Re: Climatic Chaos in Making

Post by Edward Ronald »

Every point in this post is informative and acknowledging to me. I will use to some important / marked items with me best efforts. Really acknowledging post.
Farhan Ahmed
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Re: Climatic Chaos in Making

Post by Farhan Ahmed »

Welcome......Encouraging, hoping to see positive contribution from you.
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