Geography - Pakistan spans over an area of seventy-six thousand square kilometers, experiencing an extensive range of temperatures and precipitation patterns across its regions. The southern half of the country's eastern regions mainly receive precipitation through the southwest summer monsoon (June to September), while the northern and western regions receive precipitation primarily from western weather systems in winter (December to March) [1].

Demography - With a population of 184.5 million people, Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world and is expected to rank fifth by 2050, with an annual population growth rate of 2% [1].

Climate Threats - Pakistan's agriculture-dependent economy faces unique challenges due to its geography, demographic trends, socioeconomic status, and inadequate adaptive capacity, making it vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) for the Asia region recognizes this vulnerability, with the combined factors perpetuating the poverty cycle [1].

Floods in Pakistan

Floods:

A flood is a natural disaster that occurs when an excess of water inundates typically dry areas, resulting in the submersion of ground surfaces. Floods are the most frequent form of natural disaster [2].

Climate change and flooding

Deforestation, the removal of wetlands, changes in river channels, and flood control measures such as levees, along with global challenges such as climate change and sea-level rise, contribute to increased flooding intensity and frequency. Climate change-induced extreme weather events and increased rainfall also heighten the risks of floods, leading to more devastating and violent floods [3].

International climate experts from Pakistan, Europe, and the United States have attributed the 75% increase in rainfall during the worst monsoon storms in Pakistan to climate change. The warming atmosphere retains more water, contributing to a 4% increase in the country's rainfall since 1901, with Pakistan experiencing its wettest August on record since 1961. Recent floods, droughts, and cyclones have resulted in displaced people, destroyed livelihoods, and infrastructure damage, affecting millions of people in Pakistan [3].

Floods: Impacts on Pakistani Citizens

More than 10 million children in Pakistan now require urgent, life-saving aid due to the worst floods in the country's recent history. Communities have been destroyed, several public health institutions, water infrastructure, and schools have been damaged or destroyed, with floodwaters receding, posing an urgent threat to Pakistanis' lives. Over 33 million people, including approximately 16 million children, have been affected by monsoon rains, floods, and landslides. Flood-damaged infrastructure such as housing, farms, roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, and public institutions has led to a shortage of potable water, affecting millions of people [3].

Proposed Solution:

Flooding is a significant challenge to Pakistan, and addressing this issue is crucial in mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change. One proposed solution is introducing drone technology that uses seed-firing drones to plant trees, considering the present level of technical development.

Trees provide various benefits, including improving air quality, aesthetics, fruit-bearing, and shade. However, they also play a crucial role in flood mitigation, with a medium-sized tree capable of absorbing approximately 2,380 gallons of precipitation annually [4].

References:

[1] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2014). Asia. Cambridge University Press.

[2] National Geographic. (2021). Flood. National Geographic Society.

[3] United Nations Foundation. (2019). Flooding in Pakistan. United Nations Foundation.

[4] United States Department of Agriculture. (2012). The Role of Trees and Forests in Healthy Watersheds. USDA.

Scientific Explanation:

Airspeed Technology is using a group of advanced 'octocopters' to enhance tree planting efficiency, combining artificial intelligence with specialized seed pods capable of being projected into the ground from high altitudes. Each independent drone can plant more than 40,000 seed pods every day, resulting in a twenty-five times faster and 80% less expensive operation than conventional methods.

Prior to takeoff, the drone hopper is equipped with seed pods suitable for the surrounding environment. Once in the air, the drones adhere to predefined routes, sow seeds according to predetermined patterns, and record their coordinates [6].

Implementation in the Following Five Years:

Pakistan should follow the example of Spanish entrepreneurs who are using drones and "smart seeds" to streamline reforestation efforts, resulting in a quicker, more efficient and more cost-effective tree-planting process. Drones are being implemented for environmental stability and to actualize the Sustainable Development Goals.

Traditional reforestation methods are both resource and time-intensive. CO2 Revolution, a Spanish startup, uses big data, drones, and a unique form of "smart seed" to address large-scale reforestation, planting whole ecosystems in 1/10th of the time and cost. Over the next five years, the company is aiming to plant as much as 10 million trees.

The planting effort involves three phases. In the first phase, a drone fitted with a spectrographic camera, GPS tech, and mapping tools captures information on factors like temperature, precipitation, soil type, and indigenous plant species. The data is cross-referenced with data on local population needs, soil regulations, and other variables to obtain an ideal planting technique and decide on the ideal location for each seed.

Next, the team designs various "smart seeds" or "Iseeds" by feeding the parameters gathered from the seed pod. To form a full ecosystem, the seeds are matched to the diversity of the original ecosystem and contain not only trees but also grass, flowers, and shrubs.

The final stage is planting the seeds with drones equipped with GPS, following the developed planting plans. The 3D-printed seed tanks on the drones hold up to 10,000 seeds at a time.

Challenges:

The size and weight of seeds pose a challenge to drone use. Grass seeds, in particular, are tiny and hence weigh very little, producing an obstacle for drone use. While in flight, the drone's fan wind may impede the fall of the grass seed to the intended location. Nevertheless, this difficulty can be overcome by pelletizing grass seeds or by modifying the seed dispenser on the drone.

Conclusion:

As trees grow, they create shade, lower soil temperatures and promote the growth of crops.

Despite the fact that Australia's forestry industry currently employs fixed-wing drones to assess tree density and regeneration after bushfires, tree-planting propeller drones offer a novel and innovative approach to reforesting areas affected by mining, logging, or deserts.

It is critical to expedite the reforestation process. Due to the rising flood crisis in Pakistan, reforestation efforts must be accelerated and amplified by any means necessary.

Works cited:

[1]A few ways to combat climate change in Pakistan by Amber Ajani - link

[2]Pakistan Flooding Shows ‘Adapting’ to Climate Change Can Be a Dangerous Illusion - link

[3]Opportunities and challenges of Pakistan’s afforestation drive by Haris Mushtaq - link

[4]Climate change and its implications on health and the healthcare system: A perspective from Pakistan- link

[5]Tree-planting drones could help restore the world’s forests by Louise Murray - link

[6]Smart Seeds and Drones Could Plant 10 Million Trees in Ten Years - link