LONG- AND SHORT-TERM ECONOMIC
CHALLENGES IN THE AFTERMATH OF 2022
FLOODS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
MUHAMMAD AFIQ
This article has been written by Muhammad Afiq on the challenges that Pakistan faced during
the challenging monsoon rains in 2022.
The 2022 floods, a major upheaval in the whole country of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, will
never be forgotten in the country’s history because of the devastation and the destruction that it
brought which will have a long-lasting impact on each and every sector, be it financial, political,
educational etc. A World Bank Assessment report estimates a total of 15.2 USD billion dollars
loss to the country. As a result of the flood people lost their homes, their cattle, their farms,
lands, and even their lives. As the agricultural lands were devastated, Pakistan faced a
tremendous loss to its GDP because Pakistan is primarily an agricultural country. The items that
Pakistan exported to the entire world and for which it was well-known, had to be imported
because 80% farming lands of the country were destroyed. As a result, inflation in Pakistan is
projected to rise by 30%. In addition to this, PDNA human impact assessment highlights that
national poverty rate will increase from 3.7% to 4% which will push 9.1 million people below
poverty line. Economic growth is measured by four sectors that are land, labor, capital, and
entrepreneur and unfortunately all these sectors are negatively impacted due to the floods.
The only solution is building a roadmap or national plan on which each citizen
must abide. The taxation system should also be increased to generate revenue. Furthermore,
Government land should be given on lease to factories, which will not only be a source of
revenue for the government but will also help the country to face unemployment. For the
agricultural betterment, the government should provide interest free loans to the farmers which
will not only help the farmers to revive their economic cycle but will also be a source of GDP
and economic growth for the country. In following Afiq and in taking the measures that he
mentions, the economic cycle of people will be refined, and the country will start functioning
properly.
The article focuses on giving the stats, instead of presenting the measures;
Afiq primarily focuses on making the reader roam over stats and figures. There is no
measure given by the writer in this article which is in the hands of common people.
Furthermore, the article also misses the visualization i.e., no graph or chart is mentioned.
The writer started the article by mentioning the Global Climate Rate Index, which states
Pakistan is responsible for less than 1% of the world’s emissions into the atmosphere; which
must be noted as the United States, China, and the European Union are responsible for most of
the carbon emissions.
The writer has also stated Pakistan as an agrarian country which is quite true. The
entire article is supported by the references the writer provided at the end of each line. Firstly,
the writer mentions each of the destructions that paved its way in our country, starting from
roads and bridges to farms and lands, from vegetables and fruits to homes and shelters. Then he
mentions the practical solutions to wrap up this turmoil and to restart the smooth functioning of
our country. The solutions stated by the writer are international loans and funds at the first place,
national plan and a national rule, BOT modules and interest free loans to farmers. In my view,
the writer presents unrealistic solutions which are of no use for the common person. What is the
benefit of BOT module or international loan for a common laborer who works for the entire day
just to fill his family's basic needs.
Another thing lacking in this article is that there is no place for visualization.
There are no graphs, sketches, and charts incorporated, which reduces the strength of the paper.
Visualization helps in grasping information quickly.
The article is well-written and is providing all the relevant information regarding
the devastation that Pakistan faced in 2022 and is still fighting with its impacts in the form of
diseases, unemployment, lesser production of farms etc. To stand against this devastation we all
must gather on a single national plan which has to be followed amongst all and which will be a
source of prosperity for both the government as well as the individual.