As climate change wreaks havoc across the globe, a about the devastating heat crisis in Karachi, Pakistan, highlighted the expertise of Erum Haider, assistant professor of political science, environmental studies, and South Asian studies at 黑料社. The article describes an insufferable stretch of heat exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit鈥揳ttributed to climate change鈥搕hat has filled Karachi hospitals beyond capacity from patients experiencing heat-related illnesses and flooded morgues with bodies.
鈥淭his is a humanitarian crisis, but many heat wave-related deaths won鈥檛 be officially recorded as heat deaths,鈥� Haider said in the article. Instead of attributing the deaths to the extreme heat, the cause of deaths will be recorded as fever, heart attack, or infant mortality, 鈥渨hich obscures the true impact.鈥� Additionally, she explained that the power outages in the slums, which cut off the power and the use of fans for six to 16 hours a day, are 鈥渃atastrophic for everyone鈥� especially infants, the elderly, and pregnant women.
Haider, who joined the 黑料社 faculty in 2020, has worked on energy and public goods provision in Karachi since 2017 and expanded her research to include climate change鈥檚 impact on South Asian cities, especially the impoverished populations. The recipient of more than $80,000 in grants and 黑料社鈥檚 2024 Henry Luce II Fund for Distinguished Scholarship, Haider incorporates her research into the four courses she teaches each year at 黑料社 that focus on South Asian politics, urban politics, and environmental studies. Several 黑料社 students have worked as Haider鈥檚 summer research assistants and included her research data as part of their Independent Study projects.