A RESENTFUL ATTACK BY NATURE

Published by – Ilyas Abdul Rauf, 11217

Resentment

An emotional state loaded with anger, irritation, perception of injustice and a feeling of being forced
to accept something that disgusts you. A similar pathway is continuously being urged upon nature,
initiating from the days of industrial revolution of late 1980’s and early 1900’s. As a result, nature is
reacting furiously and its repercussions can be seen from time to time, scattered around the Globe.
The reactions, ironically, are also distributed in an unjust manner. Pakistan, a country that
contributes to less than 1% in Greenhouse gas emissions,1 is amongst the eighth most affected
countries by climate change in last 20 years, with over 145 devastating events recorded around the
Country.2 The country is ranked at same position in vulnerability for future climate changes across the
globe3. Climate changes, previously, were not considered a huge problem, as it didn’t affect the lives of
ordinary people instantaneously. But then came what was about to change the way people of Pakistan,
especially that of Karachi, would refer to climate change.

Nowhere to go!

It was on June 16th, 2015 when government of Pakistan released a warning for several cities to prepare
themselves for a lethal heat wave to follow4, as if it was already not hot enough. ‘Heat Wave’, a
phenomena unheard by common people before that day, was going to have the most devastating
effects, especially on the industrial capital of the Country. Karachi, the largest city of Pakistan, with
largest number of emergency care units5, with fastest commute system and with over 500 hospitals6,
was challenged on its capabilities. If this city was to fail, should there be any hopes left for other cities
to outstrip similar challenges?

The Plan

Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, had warned electric supply companies of being intolerant if power was
cut7. Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, declared an emergency in Karachi and in other cities
of the province. He issued orders of uninterrupted water and power supply in the region. 8
Educational Institutes came to a temporary halt, whether officially or unofficially. Hospitals went on
High Alert and doctors were instructed to avoid exposure to the sun and to wear light cotton clothes. 9

A Nightmare -

What was anticipated, finally came. From June 19th to June 24th, the city was struck by one of its
hottest spans. According to International standards, a heat stroke is highly probable with a heat index
of more than 54 °C10. Although, the highest temperature recorded was 45°C, It was worsened by
extreme low humidity and low wind conditions. As a result, the heat index of the coastal city rose up to

1 Umar, Muhammad Awais /Dr Ahmed, Vaqar (2018, December 21) Carbon emissions in Pakistan likely to rise about 300% by
2030. Retrieved from:
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1877884/2-carbon-emissions-pakistan-likely-rise-300-2030/
2Eckstien, David – Grmanwatch (2018, December) Global Climate Risk Index 2019. Retrieved from:

https://germanwatch.org/sites/germanwatch.org/files/Global%20Climate%20Risk%20Index%202019_2.pdf
3 Eckstien, David – Grmanwatch (2018, December) Global Climate Risk Index 2019. Retrieved from:

https://germanwatch.org/sites/germanwatch.org/files/Global%20Climate%20Risk%20Index%202019_2.pdf
4 Pakistan Meteorological Department (2015, June 16) Drought Bullitan of Pakistan. Retrieved from:

http://www.ndmc.pmd.gov.pk/quater215.pdf
5 Health Department, Government of Sindh (latest update) Hospitals, Dispensaries and Laboratories, Retrieved from:

https://www.sindhhealth.gov.pk/
6 Health Department, Government of Sindh (latest update) Hospitals, Dispensaries and Laboratories, Retrieved from:

https://www.sindhhealth.gov.pk/
7 Ali, Imtiaz – Dawn (2015, June 21) Karachi heat wave claims over 120 lives. Retrieved from:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1189550
8 Relief Web (2015, June 22) Sindh Heat wave impact – 2015. Retrieved form:

https://reliefweb.int/report/pakistan/sindh-heatwave-impact-2015
9 Ali, Imtiaz – Dawn (2015, June 21) Karachi heat wave claims over 120 lives. Retrieved from:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1189550
10 Dr. Chaudri, Qamar uz Zaman – Government of pakistan, Ministry of Climate change (2015, July) Technical Report on

Karachi Heat wave June 2015. Retrieved from:

http://www.ndma.gov.pk/files/heatwave.pdf
66 °C.11 I, being a witness of the wave, felt like being trapped in a hot baking oven with nowhere for
the gases to escape. The city, during the span, witnessed a never ending stream of dead bodies. The
families of the corpses were not able to keep them home for more than a few hours, because of
extreme conditions and smell due to it.12 As a result, Hospitals and mortuaries started filling up like
never before. This further added up to an already crisis situation with all the planning beginning to
collapse.

Dr Seemin Jamali, head of emergency department at Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC),
was among those who were directly handling the situation. She, in an interview, described how the
corpses were mostly of elderly and of those who already had some disease and were unfortunately not
able to survive an extra layer of suffering.13 As a result, hundreds of lives bowed down to a backlash by
Mother Nature.

Daisy Nasreen, the head nurse at JPMC, described how she and crew felt utterly helpless during those
days. She recalls the horrific scenes of the week when they were out of stretchers so they had to put the
corpses on the floor until Edhi Foundation’s ambulances would take them. But there ambulances
never came as they were still busy in saving those who were still alive. But there was still hope because
the largest mortuary of the country was located in Karachi, the Edhi foundation mortuary. She
describes how it felt like a nightmare when Edhi foundation told them that they didn’t have any more
space in there mortuary to keep the dead. “It was a horrible, horrible week” She describes. 14

The citizens of the metropolitan city were fighting and suffering. Their hardships escalated when
promises made by the authorities were also not honored. Frequent cuts in power and water supplies
led to violent protests in different parts of the city. 15

Food for thought

The unprecedented heat wave had shook the entire city and it was caught off balance. Filled up
hospitals and mortuaries, power and water cuts, extreme weather conditions and violent protests were
seen throughout the city. People were out on streets, some with sticks and some with corpses of their
beloved ones. The death toll was over 2,000 people because of the wave 16. This summarizes what
‘Karachites’ went through in the June of 2015. Today, trends predict that these temperature scales are
going to be a new normal for Karachi.17 Supported by heatwaves of 2016, 2017 and 2019, this does
seem true.18 The following heatwaves had a lesser impact as the people and the authorities were well
prepared and as it was of a lesser extent. 19 But what happens when Karachi, or any other city, is
struck by another heat wave similar to that of 2015?

11 Dr. Chaudri, Qamar uz Zaman – Government of pakistan, Ministry of Climate change (2015, July) Technical Report on
Karachi Heat wave June 2015. Retrieved from:
http://www.ndma.gov.pk/files/heatwave.pdf
12 Relief Web (2015, June 22) Sindh Heat wave impact – 2015. Retrieved form:

https://reliefweb.int/report/pakistan/sindh-heatwave-impact-2015
13 Zofeen T. Ebrahim (2019,July 26) Is Karachi ready to fight the next big heat wave? Retrieved from:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1395438?fbclid=IwAR2LaLsliQOORgfAiwHSD8wGhjpNRwn2m3RyaPbVSQPIdWG6V8UOTf-
klFs
14 Zofeen T. Ebrahim (2019,July 26) Is Karachi ready to fight the next big heat wave? Retrieved from:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1395438?fbclid=IwAR2LaLsliQOORgfAiwHSD8wGhjpNRwn2m3RyaPbVSQPIdWG6V8UOTf-
klFs
15 Relief Web (2015, June 22) Sindh Heat wave impact – 2015. Retrieved form:

https://reliefweb.int/report/pakistan/sindh-heatwave-impact-2015
16 Haider, Kamran (2015, June 24). Heat Wave Death Toll Rises to 2,000 in Pakistan's Financial Hub Retrieved from:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-24/heat-wave-death-toll-rises-to-2-000-in-pakistan-s-financial-hub
17 Zofeen T. Ebrahim (2019,July 26) Is Karachi ready to fight the next big heat wave? Retrieved from:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1395438?fbclid=IwAR2LaLsliQOORgfAiwHSD8wGhjpNRwn2m3RyaPbVSQPIdWG6V8UOTf-
klFs
18 Karachi Commisioner Office (2017, May) Karachi heatwave management plan. Retrieved from:

http://www.lead.org.pk/attachments/HeatwaveManagementPlan.pdf
19 Zofeen T. Ebrahim (2019,July 26) Is Karachi ready to fight the next big heat wave? Retrieved from:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1395438?fbclid=IwAR2LaLsliQOORgfAiwHSD8wGhjpNRwn2m3RyaPbVSQPIdWG6V8UOTf-
klFs