Pakistan floods highlight need for Climate Fund

Pakistan's crisis worsened in the past week, as the floods which had started in the north spread to the central and southern regions.

About a million people were evacuated in southern Sindh province in the past few days as the Indus River burst its banks in several places.

As the scale of the flooding increased, the estimates on damage and reconstruction costs also mounted. The Pakistani High Commissioner in London said that more than US$15 billion was needed for reconstructing Pakistan. But that was two weeks ago.

The New York Times reported: “Even as Pakistani and international relief officials scrambled to save people and property, they despaired that the nation's worst natural calamity had ruined just about every physical strand that knit this country together — roads, bridges, schools, health clinics, electricity and communications.

“The destruction could set Pakistan back many years, if not decades, further weaken its feeble civilian administration and add to the burdens on its military.”

According to The New York Times article, more than 20 million people are now affected. The government estimates that the floods have washed away 5,000 miles of roads and railways, 7,000 schools and over 400 health facilities.

Just to build about 500 miles of roads in war-ravaged Afghanistan, the United States spent US$500 million and it took them several years.

By comparison, a U.S. aid agency spent US$200 million to rebuild just 56 schools, 19 health facilities and other services since the earthquake in the Pakistani controlled portion of Kashmir in 2005.

The article cites a study from two U.S. universities estimating the flood damage at US$7.1 billion but this is probably an under-estimation.

Another news report quotes a government estimate of damage at between US$20 billion and US$30 billion.

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