So you guys already know that Karachi has been experiencing some pretty next level baarish that’s causing a whole lotta damage
Streets of #Karachi during the #rain pic.twitter.com/oHusRb8mMM
— Norbert Almeida (@norbalm) August 31, 2017
I mean, see for yourself
Urban flooding https://t.co/hZLI4RAV6R
Editorial – July 28, 2015 #Karachi #Rain #FlashFlooding #Encroachment #ClimateChange #FlashFlooding pic.twitter.com/pc1X1siBxR— Aamir Mughal (@mughalbha) August 31, 2017
Half the city is under water
#Karachi after rain pic.twitter.com/gpZPjjTTSt
— Ali A. Reza Global Goodwill Ambassador (@AlRezaGGA) August 31, 2017
Turns out, Karachi isn’t the only place that’s experiencing drastic weather conditions. Mother Nature is kinda wreaking havoc around the world. Take Mumbai, for example
Photos: Mumbai recovers from floods after the most rainfall in a more than a decade https://t.co/T5HMBJzKlQ pic.twitter.com/eR2LK9F7bd
— The World (@TheWorld) August 31, 2017
Mumbai’s in pretty bad shape after experiencing the heaviest rainfall in an entire decade
https://twitter.com/gscruggsbrown/status/903337226905509891
And things honestly don’t look too great
https://twitter.com/GoAnimalNSave/status/903320220835749889
Moreover, by now, I’m sure you’ve heard of Hurricane Harvey
Friar Tuck Lane, Groves, TX August 31st, 2017 #HurricaneHarvey pic.twitter.com/TE7FRzmrRT
— Blake Hopper (@blakehopper) August 31, 2017
It’s been affecting a lot of people in Houston, Texas
Hurricane Harvey-related death toll rises to 39 https://t.co/GlDjrg15nB pic.twitter.com/nQAJLVnApn
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) August 31, 2017
People have had to evacuate their homes
https://twitter.com/gearmeister/status/903215929324077056
It’s pretty bad, and people are trying their best to help each other…
These heroic people formed a human chain to save this elderly man during Hurricane Harvey pic.twitter.com/XgiLbyWs5r
— NowThis Impact (@nowthisimpact) August 31, 2017
…and help the animals too
https://twitter.com/animalkind/status/903262658383802368
Even places like Yemen are experiencing flash floods
https://twitter.com/amelscript/status/903273494762463233
Now, amidst all of this, we can all pretend that climate change isn’t real. It’s all too easy to take a page out of Trump’s book and blind ourselves to the world around us. And humein toh pehle hee climate change ki limited knowledge hai. But let’s step back for a second and look at the facts:
Pakistan is reportedly the seventh most adversely affected country by climate change.
Our country is 7th on the Global Climate Risk Index (2017) and Pakistan Economic Survey (2016-2017.)
The impact climate change has is legit being felt through extreme climatic conditions and their increasing frequency.
Floods almost every year in the past decade. Increasing temperatures. Heatwaves. Flash floods. Do we need more signs?
Intense heatwave, followed by showers likely in Karachi https://t.co/BGuo5EhPam
— Pak Met Department محکمہ موسمیات (@pmdgov) August 29, 2017
Our government understands that climate change isn’t a made-up story, which kinda explains the passing of the Pakistan Climate Change Act 2017.
And, let’s face it – we need the implementation of this Act pretty soon, too.
A video of #Karachi #rain on the #NIPA flyover #GulshaneIqbal. Just received it on my #WhatsApp pic.twitter.com/3SzmvoIvkz
— Annus Raza (@annusraza) August 31, 2017
As far as these other worldwide disasters are concerned, scientists have confirmed that climatic changes made Hurricane Harvey a worse storm than it would’ve normally been.
According to Vox, the long-term warming trends made the ocean warmer which allowed the hurricane to have more energy to tap into.
Climate change is going to make hurricanes both better and much, much worse: https://t.co/UpRj05TFwk pic.twitter.com/Y0wFxiAvms
— VICE (@VICE) August 31, 2017
Climatic changes also led to more intense monsoon rains in South Asia.
Reaz Ahmed, the director-general of Bangladesh’s Department of Disaster Management, reportedly said the following to CNN: “This is not normal. Floods this year were bigger and more intense than the previous years.”
So, with this in mind, I’ll leave you with this tweet:
CLIMATE. CHANGE. IS. NOT. A. HOAX. https://t.co/kXx9CqyvW2
— antonio (@antoniodelotero) August 31, 2017
Aagey, aap soch lein. In the fight against this disastrous phenomenon, which side do you choose to be on?
Cover image via S S Mirza / AFP Photo