Ignoring the fact that Sindh has been experiencing record-high temperatures over the years, the provincial government did not include a single development scheme to address heatwaves in the 2024-25 budget.
Though the chief minister, in his budget speech on the floor of the Sindh Assembly, frequently highlighted floods and their devastating impacts on the province, he mentioned not a single time the recurring phenomenon of heatwaves — often seen as the silent assassin of climate change.
In June 2015, Karachi witnessed a severe heatwave that caused over 1,200 deaths and over 50,000 cases of heat illness.
In 2018, Sindh’s city Shaheed Benazirabad (SBA) (formerly Nawabshah) witnessed the highest April temperature on the planet in modern records – a scorching 50.2° Celsius.
The previous world record was held by another city of Sindh, Larkana, at 50° Celsius recorded a year earlier in April 2017.
In May this year, temperatures rose above 52 degrees Celsius in the province, the highest reading of the summer and close to the country’s record high. Businesses at local shops in towns such as Mohen-Jo-Daro were completely crippled due to extremely low footfall on account of severe heat.
The Citizenry carefully sifted through the Volume V of the Sindh government’s budget documents, which details the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the upcoming financial year 2024-25, as well as those of the outgoing fiscal year 2023-24 and the last fiscal year 2022-23.
There was no mention of heatwaves in any government sector or sub-sector in the PSDP of three years, which actually seems to align with the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) election manifesto that makes only a single mention of the heatwave issue. The party is currently serving its fourth consecutive term in the province.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had said in his budget speech in the provincial assembly that in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2024-25, there will be “No New Schemes” because of the impact of Basic Schedule Rates and Composite Schedule Rates. These rates were impacted by the massive increase in the cost of production.
To see what have been the environment-related priorities of the Sindh government when it conveniently ignores the heatwaves, the Citizenry checked the development schemes of the Sindh Environment, Climate Change, and Coastal Development Department.
It was found that the environment sub-department had allocations for 10 development schemes, five of which were for various environmental studies and awareness programmes — none of which was concerned about heatwaves or their impacts.
One of these 10 development schemes is the ‘Study of Environment & Health Impacts of Pesticides & Chemical Fertilizer in Sindh’. It was approved in 2012 and has been consistently appearing on the budget books since then with no progress to show.
Another development scheme of the provincial environment department is titled ‘Strengthening of Environmental Monitoring System in EPA Sindh’. It was approved in 2013. Another scheme that was approved in 2013 and continues till date is ‘Environmental Awareness and Education for Protection and Conservation of Natural Resources in Sindh’.
Two of the recently approved schemes are the ‘Study of Ambient Air Quality in Major Urban Areas of Sindh’ and ‘Construction of Additional Block, Renovation and Rehabilitation of EPA Buildings at Sukkur’. They were approved in 2022.
The remaining schemes of the environment sub-department are ‘Feasibility Study regarding Zig Zag Technology for Brick Kilns in Sindh’, ‘Renovation & Rehabilitation of Building of Environment Complex’, ‘Expansion & Strengthening of Environmental Laboratories in EPA Buildings at Karachi, Hyderabad & Sukkur’ and ‘Establishment of Environmental Information System in EPA Building at Karachi’.
Meanwhile, the climate change sub-department has a development scheme titled ‘Establishment of Environmental Information System in EPA Building at Karachi’ similar to one listed under the environment sub-department.
After it was confirmed that the environment and climate change department has nothing to offer for addressing the heatwave issue, the Citizenry checked the provincial rehabilitation department, which concerns with rehabilitation of citizens in case of disasters including heatwaves.
After the 18th constitutional amendment, the Sindh government formed its rehabilitation department in 2010 tasked with disaster mitigation, prevention and management.
Again there is no mention of heatwaves in the rehabilitation department’s ADP. It appears that the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and the Sindh government do not consider rising temperatures or heat waves as a disaster or catastrophe in the province.
The first development scheme of the rehabilitation department is the ‘Sindh Resilience Project’ funded by the World Bank. The other three schemes include ’Establishment of Regional Offices of PDMA’, ‘Mobile Health Care Units Project’ and ‘Strengthening Tsunami and Earthquake Preparedness in Coastal Areas of Sindh Province’.
We then turned our attention to the Sindh Health Department, which has a total of six sub-sectors and 210 development schemes with an allocation of Rs31.4 billion including funds through foreign project assistance. There is no health-related development scheme addressing rising temperatures.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations has published its sixth assessment report, underscoring how hot extremes and heatwaves have “intensified in cities”. The report highlights that the impact of heat is particularly severe on “economically and socially marginalised” residents, especially those living in slums.
The IPCC report states “extreme heat events have resulted in human mortality and morbidity.” It also mentions mental health challenges arising from rising temperatures.
According to the report, a compound heat wave or drought event can severely impact agricultural regions, leading to cascading effects on small farmers, children and even pregnant women. While the Aga Khan University in Pakistan is set to launch a study on the impact of extreme heat on maternal and child health, there is a palpable lack of government action addressing this issue.
In 2021, Sindh introduced its own Climate Change Policy, acknowledging that its residents have increasingly been becoming vulnerable to rising temperatures. The policy document emphasises that the impact of heat is “exacerbated by lack of knowledge and poor early warning systems.” It also notes that the mortality rate among women during heat waves is higher than men due to sociocultural factors that restrict women’s mobility, knowledge and skills.
However, this policy has no reflection in the provincial Annual Development Programme. Yasir Darya, Director of the Climate Action Centre, lamented the lack of public awareness regarding dealing with heat waves and the rising temperatures.
He stressed the need for designing interventions to make structures more airy and less heat-trapping. Darya suggested including development schemes focused on rising temperatures, such as planting trees along roadsides to have a cooling effect.
Aly Muhammad Gajani, who holds a master’s degree in space science and technology, wrote a research paper on urban heat islands and green spaces in Karachi. His study indicated a “general trend of cooling” around urban green spaces in the city. According to the study, the cooling effect in areas like ‘Karachi Golf Club’ and ‘Clifton Urban Park’ extended approximately 150 to 240 metres.
Gajani’s findings suggest that dedicated tree plantation schemes in Karachi’s heat hotspots could mitigate rising temperatures.
Sahoa Macktoom, a Research Associate at the Karachi Urban Lab, has extensively studied the city’s rising temperatures. She advocates for the establishment of cooling centres, a common practice globally in regions facing high temperatures. She criticises the temporary heatwave camps set up by local governments as mere ad-hoc measures.
She proposes that cooling centres, which are large spaces where vulnerable populations can seek refuge during extreme heat, should be integrated into development schemes. These centers, considering cultural contexts, should provide segregated spaces. Additionally, she recommends the development of schemes for installing bamboo shades.
Header by Ali Laghari/Anadolu/Getty Images
Subedited by Bilal Ahmed
