Socio-political impact of natural disasters.

2022 unleashed climatic challengAes of an unprecedented scale in Pakistan as it experienced many extreme weathers over the year. The extremely high temperatures in March acted forebodingly for the much-awaited monAsoon season. The intense rains starting from mid-June till late-August were three times heavier than the usuAal monsoon spells. In the afterAmath of precipitation of this inAtensity, the country faced one of worst floods, with one-third of its land subAmerged at one point.

These floods have claimed more than 1735 lives so far. Over 33 million people have been affected and 7.9 million were displaced. The infrastructural damagAes are also high with 2.1 million homes partially or fully damaged, 13,000km of roads, and 410 of bridges destroyed. As per estimates, the financial losses and economic damage have cost the counAtry more than USD 30 billion, while anAother USD 16.3 billion are required to cover reconstruction costs.

Besides, stagnant flood water reAquiring at-least six months to reAcede, caused the spread of many skin and water-borne diseases. This, agAgravated by their already existing soAcioeconomic distresses, has created a second wave of devastation for disasAter-stricken people, leaving them in an absolutely miserable condition.

In such times, immediate relief opAerations are the only way to minimise sufferings. Pakistan's civil society's contributions in this regard are comAmendable, but the sheer scale of devAastation cannot be managed alone. The main responsibility for post-diAsaster management remains with the government. Although, public officials claim to have acted efficiently, civil soAciety and flood survivors believe othAerwise. The reports surfacing about relief efforts are dismal. People living in destitute conditions in many large areas are still awaiting assistance.

While concrete post-disaster damage is easier to notice; another, rarely-talkAed-about, type of damage is the one to political trust post-natural tragedies. Political trust can broadly be defined as faith in government's administraAtive institutions and abilities. It must be noted that disaster itself does not impact trust levels. It is the adequacy of government's relief efforts post-diAsaster that influences political trust. A disaster's severity and its media coverAage are two other factors that affect poAlitical trust in post-disaster efforts.

Political trust is crucial for a state's functioning as it incentivises citizens to follow rules of...

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