Right to Life Under Water: State Responsibilities and Failures After the Floods

Right to Life Under Water: State Responsibilities and Failures After the Floods

Sidra sadozai Resident Editor

Nearly a third of Pakistan was under water when the monsoon rains of 2022 turned into one of the worst floods in the country’s history. Millions of families were displaced, crops were destroyed, and villages disappeared under the water. It was referred to as a “climate catastrophe” by international media. It wasn’t just a climate issue, though, for the millions of Pakistanis who were stuck on rooftops or clinging to broken roadsides; it was also a story about responsibility, governance, and the unmet right to life.

Beyond Survival: The Right to Life

“No person shall be deprived of life or liberty save in accordance with law,” according to Article 9 of the Pakistani Constitution. The right to life includes dignity, safety, health, and housing; it is not limited to just being alive. The state is primarily responsible for defending this right during emergencies.

After the floods, however, innumerable families had to deal with the opposite situation: a slow death in camps devoid of food, tainted water, and medical assistance. Women gave birth without access to clinics, farmers saw their only source of income—their land—become barren, and infants perished from avoidable diseases. The inadequacy of Pakistan’s state response as well as its infrastructure was made evident by the floodwaters.

The Global Aspect of Climate Injustice

It is true that Pakistan experiences some of the worst effects of climate change despite contributing less than 1% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Melting glaciers and unpredictable monsoons brought on by global warming exacerbated the floods. The international community is therefore unavoidably obligated to provide climate finance and reparations.

However, domestic failures cannot be justified by acknowledging climate injustice. The Pakistani state cannot escape its responsibility to defend its own citizens, even though world powers must answer for their part. A natural disaster became a humanitarian disaster as a result of weak institutions, bad governance, and systemic corruption.

Internally Displaced People: The Forgotten Millions

One of the biggest internal displacements in Pakistan’s history occurred as a result. Whole districts in Southern Punjab, Balochistan, and Sindh were rendered uninhabitable. Families who lost their homes and lands were compelled to live in temporary shelters with no guarantee of return, making them climate refugees within their own nation.

Regarding internally displaced people (IDPs) brought on by climate disasters, the state lacks a long-term policy. These citizens frequently find themselves in a legal and political void, in contrast to conflict IDPs. As reconstruction funds disappear into bureaucratic black holes, their rights to life, housing, and livelihood are still in limbo.

Public Health and Education Failures

Public health had one of the most glaring failures following the floods. Lack of clean drinking water caused cholera outbreaks, while stagnant water provided dengue and malaria breeding grounds. Classrooms were turned into shelters, depriving millions of children of an education and reversing the progress of education in already vulnerable areas.

Being alive is only one aspect of the right to life; other aspects include having opportunities and living with dignity. Denying flood survivors access to healthcare, education, and rehabilitation is a violation of their fundamental human rights.

The State’s Moral and Legal Duties

International agreements such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) also bind Pakistan. These demand that the state safeguard people’s lives, health, and dignity, especially during emergencies. Flood survivors are entitled to state protection and assistance because they are not just “victims” of nature.

Future-Related Lessons

One thing is evident from the floods: Pakistan cannot afford to continue “business as usual.” In the face of frequent disasters, the state must protect the right to life by:

Invest in disaster preparedness by updating early-warning systems, constructing reservoirs, and fortifying embankments.

Make sure the relief systems are open and transparent; assistance should not be restricted to those with political connections but should be extended to all survivors.

Adopt a climate migration policy that provides housing, healthcare, and job opportunities for internally displaced climate refugees.

Rebuilding should prioritize human rights; in addition to roads and bridges, schools, hospitals, and livelihoods should be restored.

Demand climate reparations while bolstering domestic governance to incorporate climate justice into foreign policy.

In conclusion, life cannot be left up to chance.

The floods in Pakistan were both a man-made and a natural disaster. Even though the waters have subsided, the public’s trust in the government is still being eroded. The promise of the right to life is void if the government is unable to defend its citizens when they are most in need.

Ultimately, a state’s measure is determined by how it handles its most vulnerable citizens in times of disaster, not by its catchphrases or appeals to other countries. The floods exposed how Pakistanis’ right to life was submerged in carelessness and they were left to fend for themselves underwater.

Pakistan’s leaders face a difficult decision: either keep on the path of neglect and denial or take on the challenge of governing in a way that upholds justice, dignity, and life despite rising sea levels.