Nargis Ashraf
We live in the age of climate crisis.
Climate change is a global challenge. Like many other developing countries, Pakistan is extremely vulnerable to climate change. Road infrastructure and agriculture are two of the main channels through which climate change is impacting Sindh province.
. Sindh has a road network of (25,737) km, which consists of (1,365) km of national highways and (2,830) km of provincial highways. Climate change in Sindh is projected to cause significant impacts on road infrastructure through rising temperatures, decreased precipitation, increased droughts, and a higher frequency of extreme weather events like floods.
Sindh’s roads, especially in rural areas, are in poor condition and highly vulnerable to climate change impacts like floods and heavy rains, which damage infrastructure and impede daily life and economic activity. Garello , Umar Bhayo and Bakrani Road are classic examples of the worst roads in Larkano, Sindh. The (2022) floods, for instance, damaged over (13,000) kilometers of roads and (439) bridges in Pakistan, with rural and vulnerable areas of Sindh being particularly affected. This inadequate road infrastructure entailed a constraint on Sindh’s growth and economic development.
The Government of Sindh must overcome these challenges, and take the desired several interventions in the province to improve the quality and further develop the province’s road infrastructure.
Improving basic infrastructure will make a deep impact on people’s lives in Sindh and building in climate resilience means the roads will hold up longer, and recover more quickly, in the event of a natural disaster.
Keeping the roads open and clear of debris or flood damage is vital to keeping the province connected to other provinces and to the rest of the world.
Increased uncertainty and erratic patterns around future precipitation levels in Sindh, coupled with rising temperatures, are highly likely to result in higher variability and a general decline in crop yields.
Climate change is projected to exacerbate preexisting environmental degradation challenges, including soil erosion. These effects are particularly problematic due to Sindh high poverty rate, lack of economic diversification-the agriculture sector represents one-third of the economy and employs over (70) percent of the workforce and significant dependence on rained production.
The provincial rulers must take proactive measures to address them. These include various sectorial and economy wide strategies, climate policies, and frameworks that consider the need for adaptation measures. Sindh should develop a comprehensive Provincial Adaptation Plan (PAP).
The Government of Sindh should implement a transformative approach to climate adaptation and resilience through comprehensive policies and major projects, most notably the Sindh Water and Agriculture Transformation (SWAT) Project and the Sindh Resilience Project (SRP). These initiatives focus heavily on climate-smart agriculture and resilient infrastructure development.
The Government of Sindh should also improve domestic, regional, and international engagements and coordination on adaptation and resilience strategy development, implementation, and evaluation, including effective disbursement of funding mobilized through the platform in line with the national level strategy.
To build climate-resilient transportation infrastructure and drainage. We should adapt the dimensions of new infrastructure to mitigate the worst climate conditions.
—The writer is team member of PIF (Pakistan Intellectual Forum) and
contributes regularly to different dailies.
