World News: Raising Awareness of Climate-Induced Flooding in Pakistan with Rizq

World News: Raising Awareness of Climate-Induced Flooding in Pakistan with Rizq

Over the past few months, the world has been talking about the devastating flooding that has raged through Pakistan, displacing tens of millions from their homes and taking the lives of more than 1,500 people. Hailed as one of the world’s worst environmental disasters, the flooding in Pakistan is caused by heavy monsoon rains following a drastic heatwave: this has destroyed more than 325,000 homes and damaged 2 million acres of crop land. Despite having one of the lowest carbon emission rates in the world, Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change.

 

 

Who are Rizq? Aid for the flooding in Pakistan

 

Founded by three friends who wanted to find a solution to Pakistan’s food waste problem, Rizq began as a Facebook page which encouraged those with excess food to share it with those who couldn’t afford to eat; Huzaifa, Musa and Qasim would deliver the food themselves.

Today, Rizq is a successful non-profit organisation which focuses primarily on food poverty and hunger in Pakistan, as well as a people-powered social exchange which aims to create a zero-waste and hunger-free Pakistan through their actions and initiatives. Recently, Rizq have been working on the ground to provide aid for those affected by the climate-induced flooding in Pakistan and help victims gain access to food and shelter.

 

rizq team members providing flood relief in pakistan

 

 

Flooding and plastic pollution

 

The consequences of flooding are much graver than they may initially appear, inflicting issues such as skin diseases and fevers, water-borne diseases, and the destruction of agricultural land and livestock. But mass flooding also poses a serious threat in terms of plastic pollution; when an area floods, macro- and microplastics, as well as other marine litter, are washed out to sea.

Waste products and other hazardous materials can be mobilized by flooding, quickly increasing the levels of plastic pollution in seas, lakes and rivers. Already, rivers and terrestrial sources are known as a key origin of much of the litter which ends up in the marine environment, and is considered ‘ major pathway for plastic transport from inland areas to the ocean’; this is exacerbated by flooding such as that being experienced in Pakistan.

 

Salman Shahzad photographed by Ema Krajcirova

 

 

Rizq and In-No-Plastic

 

“This awareness campaign between Rizq and our Horizon 2020 project In-No-Plastic aims to highlight the severity and consequential impact of climate change, and to bring forth this issue within a European and wider global context,” explains Salman Shahzad, In-No-Plastic Project Manager. Born and raised in Karachi, Salman now lives in Enchede, Netherlands, working for consortium member BlueXPRT.

“The recent flooding in Pakistan has showcased the devastating effects of climate change, and I hope this awareness campaign mobilizes institutions around the world to take preventative action.”

 

Find out more about Rizq’s work here, or sign up to our In-No-Plastic newsletter to stay updated with other world news.

 

 

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