KARACHI: The recent 'Safe Karachi' conference brought together environmental experts, policymakers, and civil society organizations to discuss urban resilience, especially focusing on the city’s current heatwave preparedness and exploring proactive solutions to ensure it remains resilient during extreme heat conditions.
Karachi has endured scorching temperatures this summer, with the "feels like" temperature soaring up to an astonishing 56°C on some days, raising concerns about the city’s readiness for heatwaves amid apprehensions of more intense heat.
A key point of discussion was the distinction between a hot day and a heatwave, officially defined as “an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year.”
Despite no official heatwave declaration, the city's extraordinarily high temperatures have prompted a reevaluation of its emergency preparedness.
Addressing the conference, journalist and environmental activist Afia Salam said that while a heatwave plan for Ahmedabad, India, involved Pakistani analysts, a similar plan for Karachi remains unimplemented.
She stressed the importance of activating this plan, which includes detailed response protocols and institutional involvement.
Reflecting on the severe heatwave crisis of June 2015, Salam notes that although the city's institutional capacity has improved, the heatwave management plan developed in 2017 still needs to be enacted.
The plan, she says, outlines necessary actions before, during, and after periods of extreme heat, emphasizing the need for robust strategies by institutions to enable the public to take protective actions.
She called for special support for vulnerable populations to ensure their safety and well-being during extreme heat conditions.
She stressed the need for improving coordination between stakeholders to strengthen disaster response mechanisms, which requires well-defined leadership from local government and a strong communication framework to ensure the effective delivery of public health messages.