Latest news with #ClimateAdaptation
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Pakistani musicians use folk songs and rap to raise climate change awareness
Climate Pakistan Floods Singer UMERKOT, Pakistan (AP) — Villagers hush when Pakistani folk musician Sham Bhai starts singing about climate change, her clear voice rising above the simple squat dwellings. 'We are the people of the south. The winds seem to be blowing from the north. The winds seem cold and warm. My heart is burned from seeing the collapsed houses in the rain. Oh, beloved, come home soon.' Sham is from Sindh, the Pakistani province worst-hit three years ago by climate-worsened deluges that affected tens of millions of people nationwide and washed away homes, farmland and infrastructure. She has toured a dozen villages in Sindh during the past two years, teaching people about climate adaptation and resilience through song, a useful medium for sharing information in places where literacy is low and internet is scarce. 'When we give a message through song, it is easy to communicate to people because they understand it,' the 18-year-old singer told The Associated Press. She was performing in Umerkot district, singing in her native tongue and official provincial language, Sindhi, which is more likely to be spoken and understood in places like Umerkot than the official and national language of Pakistan, Urdu. Sindh recorded more than 1,000 rain-related deaths in a few months in 2022. The damage remains visible. Broken roads and flattened houses that residents never rebuilt. Floods submerged swathes of Sham's district, Tando Allahyar. News footage showed people wading through waist-deep water. "The meaning of the song is that poor people's homes built on mud are not strong," Sham explains. "Women and children face hardship during the rains because they are vulnerable in the absence of men who go away to work. The women of the house call on their men to return because the weather is so bad.' Poverty and illiteracy deepen people's vulnerability Alternating patches of parched and lush farmland flank the road to Umerkot. Dry and wet spells buffet the province, and local farmers have to adapt. They now focus on winter crops rather than summer ones because the rain is more predictable in the colder months. 'The monsoon season used to come on time, but now it starts late,' farmer Ghulam Mustafa Mahar said. 'Sometimes there is no rain. All patterns are off-course due to climate change for the last five years.' He and others have switched from crops to livestock to survive. There is little infrastructure away from the center of the district. Children get excited seeing sedans crunch through the dust. The area is mostly poor and very hot. Sindh's literacy rate falls to 38% in rural areas. Sham said singing informs those who can't learn about climate change because they can't read. Mindful of their audience, the three singers warm people up with popular tunes to catch their attention before launching into mournful tunes about the wind and rain, their lyrics inspired by writers and poets from Sindh. 'People are acting on our advice; they are planting trees and making their houses strong to face climate change,' said Sham. ' Women and children suffer a lot during bad conditions, which damage their homes.' Women and girls of all ages can be seen working outdoors in Sindh, tending to crops or livestock. They gather food and water, along with wood for fuel. They are predominantly restricted to this type of work and other domestic chores because of gender norms and inequalities. When extreme weather strikes, they are often the first to suffer. One villager said when heavy rain battered homes in 2022, it crushed and killed whoever was inside, including children. One woman is rapping for climate justice People in rural areas have no idea what climate change is, said Urooj Fatima, an activist from the city of Jhuddo. Her stage name is Sindhi Chhokri, and she is known locally for campaigning on issues such as women's rights. But she has turned her attention to raising awareness about climate change since flooding devastated her village in 2022 and again in 2024. 'We can engage a lot of audiences through rap. If we go to a village and gather a community, there are a maximum of 50. But everyone listens to songs. Through rap, we can reach out to hundreds of thousands of people through our voice and our message.' She said hip-hop isn't common in Pakistan, but the genre resonates because of its tradition as an expression of life, hardship and struggle. She has yet to finish her latest climate change rap, but wrote one in response to the 2022 flooding in neighboring Balochistan, the country's poorest and least developed province, because she felt it wasn't getting enough attention. She performed it at festivals in Pakistan and promoted it across her social media accounts. Officials at the time said more help was needed from the central government for people to rebuild their lives. 'There are potholes on the road; the roads are ruined,' raps Urooj. 'I am telling the truth. Will your anger rain down on me? Where was the Balochistan government when the floods came? My pen thirsts for justice. Now they've succeeded, these thieving rulers. This isn't a rap song, this is a revolution.' She and her sister Khanzadi campaign on the ground and social media, protesting, visiting villages, and planting thousands of trees. She wants the Sindh government to take climate change awareness seriously by providing information and education to those who need it the most, people living in rural areas. 'This happens every year,' said Urooj, referring to the floods. 'Climate change affects a person's whole life. Their whole life becomes a disaster.' She cites the disproportionate and specific impact of climate change on women and girls, the problems they experience with displacement, education, hygiene, and nutrition, attributing these to entrenched gender discrimination. 'For women, there are no opportunities or facilities. And then, if a flood comes from above, they face more difficulties.' She elicits controversy in rural areas. Half the feedback she receives is negative. She is undeterred from speaking out on social taboos and injustice. 'Rap is a powerful platform. If our rap reaches just a few people, then this is a very good achievement. We will not let our voices be suppressed. We will always raise our voices high.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Scoop
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
EDS Says Proposals For Climate Adaptation Have Significant Gaps
The report of the government's Independent Reference Group on Climate Adaptation was released today. It contains a series of recommendations including: Improving the quality, consistency and accessibility of natural hazard risk information Mandating council adaptation planning under the Local Government Act 2002 Legislating to reduce liability risks for decision-makers A 'beneficiary pays' approach to investment in risk reduction measures, with the Crown only contributing to protect its own assets, or where 'broader national' benefits can be realised or costs reduced or avoided. Funding support for iwi/hapū/Māori adaptation initiatives for Māori land and cultural infrastructure No buyouts for property owners after a transition period of 20 years Continued hardship support provided by central government after major events but not connected to property values 'There are some good elements in these proposals', said EDS's Policy Director Raewyn Peart, who is currently writing a book on climate adaptation. 'Certainly, more consistent, higher quality and more accessible information on hazard risks will benefit everyone. Recognition that iwi and hapū will require funding support for their adaptation initiatives is also positive. 'It's also good to see adaption planning being mandated, although additional support will likely be needed for some councils to adequately resource this. Plans will need legal status so they influence other decision-making. 'Unfortunately, the report also has some notable gaps. Although the Reference Group states in the body of the report that development in high-risk areas should be avoided there are no suggestions on how this should be achieved. 'This an issue that needs urgent action. Thousands of homes are still being built in hazardous areas and this needs to stop. EDS has recommended that government promulgate a National Environment Standard, with immediate effect, to clearly state that councils must not consent development in areas subject to high hazard risk. 'The other notable gap in the recommendations is the lack of any provision for managed retreat. The approach being proposed is essentially 'unmanaged' retreat where people will be left to make their own decisions on whether to stay or leave a high-risk area. 'This means that relocation, if it occurs at all, is only likely to take place post-event, after damage has occurred and an insurance payout is available to cover at least some of the loss. Those without adequate insurance, or other means to leave, will likely be trapped in an increasingly risky environment. 'It will be exceedingly difficult for councils to plan withdrawal of service provision, as unmanaged relocation generally occurs in a haphazard manner, and gradually over long periods of time. 'On the other hand, managed retreat enables people to be moved, in a coordinated and safe manner, and before costly damage occurs. It gets everyone out of harms' way. The danger of waiting post-event was highlighted by the consequences of Cyclone Gabrielle when 11 people lost their lives. 'It was also disappointing to see no mention of the need to allow space for rivers to shift as floodplains are modified by climate change. 'EDS is keen to work with government as these proposals are fleshed out into legislation later in the year. What we need is an enduring solution that is fair for everyone,' concluded Ms Peart. Environmental Defence Society EDS speaks for the environment. It has influence. Since 1971, EDS has been driving environmental protection in Aotearoa New Zealand through law and policy change. That's why it's one of this country's most influential non- profit organisations when it comes to achieving better environmental outcomes. EDS has expertise in key disciplines including law, planning, landscape and science. It operates as a policy think-tank, a litigation advocate, and a collaborator – bringing together the private and public sectors for constructive engagement. EDS runs conferences and seminars on topical issues, including an annual Environmental Summit and the Climate Change and Business Conference. EDS is a registered charity and donations to it are tax-deductible.
