LAST week offered a juxtaposition that captures Pakistan’s predicament. In Lahore, PTI supporters took to the streets to protest rigging and the lawfare against Imran Khan. Meanwhile, in Balochistan, lashing rain led to flooding dire enough to uproot houses, wash away roads, and paralyse trade.

Our political crises and elite bargaining always come at the expense of governance and service delivery. Democracy – in its true sense, not a hybrid facade – is a prerequisite for a functioning government that can provide prosperity and protection. But while we fight for the former, we are losing hope of achieving the latter.

The flooding in Balochistan is the latest reminder that climate change-related disasters remain among the top challenges for our country. And these disasters are not tragic one-off events that can be mopped up with a quick dab of emergency relief and rescue. Each disaster has social, political and security implications that extend for years. Today’s floods are tomorrow’s famine, protest movements, insurgency.

Balochistan is a particularly dire example of how climate change-related stresses will exacerbate fragility and potentially fuel conflict. A 2021 survey by the IPC Integrated Food Security Phase Class found........

© Dawn