New Delhi [India], July 6 (ANI): Former Indian cricketer Varun Aaron praised Indian test skipper Shubman Gill’s historic century in the second innings of the 2nd test against England at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
At a venue where India is yet to register its maiden Test win, Gill led from the front following his memorable 269(387) in the first innings and then topped it up with a flamboyant 161(162) in his second turn to rescript the history books on the fourth day.
Speaking on ‘Match Centre Live’, JioHotstar expert Varun Aaron said, “I honestly feel privileged to be here and witness that innings. I can’t recall him giving the English bowlers even a single chance. The way he shifted gears — hitting sixes at will — without slogging, just pure cricket shots, was something special. Today, he showed how complete a batter he is. It reminded me of the previous Indian number four — almost a carbon copy of that genius. I don’t think he could’ve dreamed of a better start to his first two Tests on this tour. Sure, he’d have liked to win at Headingley, but now he’s hopefully set up a fantastic victory here tomorrow.”
With a whopping 430 runs across both innings, Gill has the second-highest aggregate of runs in a single Test, behind England’s Graham Gooch, who had an output of 456 runs after scoring 333 and 123 against India at Lord’s back in 1990.
Gill became the second batter to register 150-plus scores in both innings of a Test after Allan Border (150* & 153) against Pakistan in Lahore in 1980. Gill’s outing is also the first instance of a 250-plus and 150-plus score in a Test by a batter.
The 25-year-old is only the second Indian, after Gavaskar, to hit a double century and a century in the same Test. He has outdone ex-skipper and legendary batter Virat (243 and 50) to have the highest aggregate by an Indian captain in a Test match.
Gill is the second Asian batter with 350-plus aggregate in a Test outside the subcontinent after Pakistan’s Hanif Mohammad (354: 17 and 337) at Bridgetown in 1958. (ANI)
Plan-S, which develops new generation satellite and space technologies, started to provide services in Azerbaijan with a team of satellites on 5 July, 2025. (AA Photo)
July 06, 2025 01:19 PM GMT+03:00
Türkiye’s satellite technology company Plan-S has launched a new phase of digital cooperation with Azerbaijan, successfully integrating its Connecta IoT Network with systems developed by Azerbaijani tech firm Elsmart, using data relayed via Plan-S’s satellite constellation.
The initiative, carried out in collaboration with Azercosmos, Azerbaijan’s national space agency and satellite operator, marks a key milestone in delivering reliable, low-energy, and cost-effective IoT connectivity, especially in rural areas with limited terrestrial infrastructure.
Satellite systems developed by Turkish technology company Plan-S on 24 June, 2025. (AA Photo)
As part of the integration, sensor data collected by Elsmart was transmitted through the Connecta IoT Network satellite infrastructure. Field tests confirmed the system’s operational reliability.
Elsmart, known for its locally developed smart home and automation technologies, contributes to Azerbaijan’s digitalization efforts across areas such as smart cities, energy monitoring, and building security.
The integration highlights how satellite-powered IoT systems can support critical sectors—including agriculture, energy, and environmental monitoring—even in hard-to-reach regions.
Plan-S, which develops new generation satellite and space technologies, started to provide services in Azerbaijan with a team of satellites on 5 July, 2025. (AA Photo)
Plan-S recently launched four additional Connecta IoT Network satellites, bringing its total to 12. The company aims to reduce data latency, increase coverage, and scale its global IoT capabilities.
The new satellites feature a higher percentage of domestically produced components, aligning with Türkiye’s national technology and sustainability goals.
The Azerbaijan integration is among the first international field applications of the expanding network.
More to Read
This work we carried out together with Azercosmos and Elsmart is not only a technical success; it is also a very important step in terms of technology transfer and digital inclusivity. With satellite-based solutions, the geographical boundaries of digital transformation are eliminated,” said Plan-S CEO Ozdemir Gumusay.
“We will continue to expand our satellite constellation, service network, and capacity in our future work. In this way, we are determined to carry our strong ties with friendly and brotherly countries like Azerbaijan to the technology field through the collaborations we will implement,” Gumusay added.
The completed integration paves the way for expanded use of the Connecta IoT Network across Azerbaijan. Demonstration and pilot projects are planned to support widespread adoption.
Data transmitted from space is expected to enhance decision-making processes and operational efficiency in both the public and private sectors.
July 06, 2025 01:19 PM GMT+03:00
Crugnola’s plan to record a hat-trick of wins at the asphalt rally was boosted after the Pirelli-shod Citroën C3 Rally2 driver issued a timely response to double ERC champion Giandomenico Basso, to take a 2.5sec lead into the final three stages.
Crugnola started the day with a 3.3sec margin but his lead was whittled away after the morning’s first stage SS8 (Guarcino – Altipiani 1 – 11.58 km). The Italian could only set the sixth fastest time as Basso reduced the deficit to 2.7sec.
Two-time European champion Basso continued to charge in SS9, a 30.59km run through Canterano – Subiaco. The Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 driver set a stunning stage winning time, 2.9sec faster than Crugnola, which was enough to snatch the rally lead away from the Citroën driver by 0.2sec.
However, Crugnola bounced back in SS10 Jenne – Monastero to win the stage, posting a time 2.7sec faster than Basso.
“I think this fight is going to last until the last stage. Since yesterday morning we have been so close through the rally. We just need to keep going and that’s it,” said Crugnola.
Basso briefly held the lead on Sunday morning
© ERC
Basso added: “There is no margin for error, you have to be precise but I made some little mistakes with my pacenotes.”
Meanwhile, FIA ERC points leader Miko Marczyk managed to hold onto third, although his Michelin-equipped Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 is only 1.1sec ahead of title rival Andrea Mabellini after the latter took 2.2sec from Marczyk in SS10.
“This one was tough for us. It was a typical Italian road, I think we made big progress from last year where we were losing one second per kilometre, but for such a short stage it is too big a loss. We will fight until the end,” said Marczyk.
Mabellini’s impressive time arrived despite a moment at the first corner but the Italian managed to recover, and is now setting his sights on the podium
“We had a big moment in the very first corner. It is not so bad just 0.7s off the fastest time, but it is incredible that we are playing with tenths all of the time,” said Mabellini.
“I need to prepare really well for the stages this afternoon because it is going to be crucial. There is still a battle on with many competitors split by a few tenths, so every centimetre counts now.”
Marczyk managed to hold onto third from a charging Mabellini
© ERC
WRC2 Sardegna winner Roberto Dapra was fortunate to survive clipping a wall in SS9 to hold onto fifth, before posting the second fastest time on SS10 to sit 21.3sec from the lead.
Further down the order, the leaderboard underwent a shake up. Simone Campedelli slotted into sixth, helped by an impressive fastest time on SS8, a stage he claimed last year.
Another driver on the move was 2022 ERC champion Efrén Llarena who enjoyed a strong morning too rise from ninth to as high as sixth, before slipping to seventh. The Spaniard set the fourth fastest times on SS8 and SS9 as he continued to gel with his new Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.
For Mads Østberg, it was a difficult morning as the Norwegian former WRC star dropped to ninth behind Friday night’s leader Boštjan Avbelj, while Dominik Stříteský, rounded out the top 10.
“I’m just struggling a bit to find the rhythm. We tried now to reset and change everything and we did some changes, so it feels better but it is very different. We are mainly working on the suspension to find the correct balance,” said Østberg.
Simone Tempestini’s rally ended prematurely when the Romanian was forced to retire from 11th position after his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 suffered radiator damage from an impact in SS8.
Marco Signor inherited the position ahead of Norbert Herczig. M-Sport-Ford World Rally Team’s Jon Armstrong continued to struggle with the balance of his Ford Fiesta. Armstrong was forced to reverse in SS9 after a half spin at a tight hairpin, but ended up the morning with an impressive run to third fastest on SS10.
Armstrong was fighting for balance in his Fiesta for much of the morning
© ERC
“I just can’t push at all. I’m a long way from where I need to be that is for sure. I will just try to get through the rest of the day. I don’t know if we can improve too much now we have tried a lot of things,” said Armstrong after SS9.
The top 15 was completed by Italy’s Fabio Andolfi (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) and ERC Staff House Rally Hungary winner Roope Korhonen making his first asphalt start for Team MRF Tyres.
Max McRae and Simon Wagner were non-starters following their retirements on leg one. McRae, who was driving his Citroën C3 Rally2 on Tarmac in the ERC for the first time, rolled on SS6, while Wagner stopped on SS3 with a connector issue having gone equal eighth quickest through Saturday’s opening test.
In the Master ERC battle, Basso is in command by 3minutes 42.1sec from Antonio Rusce. Tymek Abramowski inherited the FIA ERC3 lead after Tristan Charpentier hit trouble in SS9. Hubert Kowalczyk is second, 1minute 56.3sec behind, with Casey Jay Coleman in third. Opel Corsa-driving Calle Carlberg heads Jaspar Vaher (Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 HF) in FIA ERC4 and FIA Junior ERC, while Ireland’s Craig Rahill is 0.2sec behind in third (Peugeot 208 Rally4).
The crews will repeat the loop of stage this afternoon, with the final Jenne – Monastero Power Stage due to begin at 1705 local time.
Turns out, not all beans are created equal.
While black beans seem to be great at fighting low-grade chronic inflammation, chickpeas are more of a cholesterol-lowering powerhouse, according to recent research from Illinois Institute of Technology.
In a three-month study, researchers asked a group of roughly 24 prediabetic people to eat a cup of black beans every day, while another group of 24 with prediabetes was given chickpeas. In a third control group, participants cooked white rice.
By the end of just 12 weeks, the researchers noticed significant differences in inflammation levels for the black bean eaters, while chickpea eaters had a greater effect on their total cholesterol, moving from at risk (with an average total cholesterol around 200 mg/dL) into a heart-healthy range (186 mg/dL).
margouillatphotos/Getty Images
The reason why different beans house different health benefits probably has to do with the chemicals that color them and make each bean unique.
While the phytochemicals that make black beans black are known to have more anti-inflammatory properties, golden chickpeas have more of other plant chemicals called phytosterols, which are cholesterol-lowering compounds.
This is why nutrition buffs often recommend eating a wide variety of different colored plants, including fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains. By eating a rich diversity of colorful whole foods, you’ll enjoy the complex natural “food matrix” found inside each one, lead researcher Indika Edirisinghe told Business Insider.
“It contains protein, it contains lipid, it contains fiber, vitamins, minerals,” and different combinations of each from bean to bean, he said. “Somebody can synthesize artificial bean by adding all the nutrients, but I don’t think you’re going to get the same effect.”
Registered dietician Joel Ramdial, who was not involved with this study, is the director of nutrition at Southeast Missouri State University’s department of sport sciences. He told BI that beans are one of the most dense and varied sources of dietary fiber you can find, making them a great ingredient to mix into your next meal.
“You can blend them up and mix them into things, you can roast,” he said. “You can put them in soups, you can mix them into sauces.”
In order to make it easier on research participants to include a cup of chickpeas per day in their diets, Edirisinghe and his team equipped their study volunteers with canned chickpeas, a measuring cup, and several easy recipes.
Courtesy of Indika Edirisinghe.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Courtesy of Indika Edirisinghe.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Top with feta and cilantro
Courtesy of Indika Edirisinghe.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Serve over cooked rice, and garnish with the sesame seeds and sliced scallions, if desired
Courtesy of Indika Edirisinghe.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Courtesy of Indika Edirisinghe.
Ingredients:
Directions:
If there’s one thing my 20-plus years of writing about AV tech have taught me, it’s there’s no such thing as the perfect product.
Whether it’s wireless earbuds, music streamers or flatscreen TVs, there’s always room for improvement, even in the very best five-star performers.
And the world of Dolby Atmos soundbars is no different. It’s a category that has exploded in recent years as support for the audio format has gained momentum, thanks to its ability to add an extra dimension to traditional surround sound.
But what if I had a blank sheet of paper and could create the perfect Dolby Atmos soundbar, combining the best bits from models we’ve had through the What Hi-Fi? Test rooms?
Below, I’ve attempted just that. My aim? To try and build a bar that delivers a bit of everything in your hunt for convenience and amazing, immersive sound quality.
What would you like to see in your ultimate Dolby Atmos soundbar? Let me know in the comments below.
Part of the selling point of a soundbar is the convenience. Many people want to improve their TV’s audio but haven’t got the space for a traditional full-blown surround sound set-up and all the big boxes and reams of cabling that it entails.
This hasn’t stopped the emergence, though, of what we’d call soundbar systems. These halfway house packages include surround speakers, such as the Samsung HW-Q990D.
But even this solution still leaves you with extra boxes cluttering up your living room and, in many cases, these boxes (specifically rear surround speakers) require a power cable running to them.
However, JBL has come up with a genius solution which I would love to see more manufacturers implement. The unique feature of the JBL Bar 1300 is that it has speakers at either end of the soundbar, which, when detached, turn into wireless surrounds.
Not only this, they can be used as portable Bluetooth speakers, which gives you an immense amount of flexibility and added value.
The wireless surrounds even have an upfiring driver, which helps with the dispersion of effects at the rear of your viewing position.
Worried about them running out of steam before the end of your LOTR movie marathon? Battery life of around 12 hours should put your mind at rest (and should even cover you for the extended editions of the Rings trilogy).
The Sonos Arc Ultra is arguably the best Dolby Atmos soundbar you can buy if you’re looking at all-round performance for the money. And a huge chunk of its appeal comes from the sound quality it spits out.
In particular, it delivers some of the most precise placement of dialogue, Dolby Atmos effects and bass that we’ve experienced from a standalone soundbar.
In our Sonos Arc review, we noted that the “increased precision helps keep everything organised both rhythmically and spatially”. It’s a dab hand at extracting a real sense of atmosphere from any soundtrack it’s asked to handle.
Lower down the frequency range, we noted that “bass notes hit with greater force and stop more precisely, and they’re tuneful in a way that makes the bass from the original Arc sound somewhat leaden and one-dimensional”.
Partly responsible for this awesome audio are the bar’s Sound Motion drivers. These clever units have four smaller, lightweight motors in opposing corners, which push the cone more than the single motor you find in most traditional drivers.
These motors push the cone to shift far more air and produce far more bass. But the extra agility in the low-frequency performance also makes the Arc Ultra even more musical than its close rivals.
No Dolby Atmos soundbar we’ve tested does room-filling sound quite like the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9.
While it’s not difficult for a good soundbar to bring an improvement to your TV’s sound, it can be difficult for a soundbar to truly fill your living room and deliver a proper home cinema experience with enough of a sense of scale to make the bar just blend into the background.
Step forward the Bravia Theatre Bar 9. It features 13 drivers and quad passive radiators with the array designed to create a ‘bubble of sound’ in your room using Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Mapping.
This extra processing creates phantom speakers in places where physical speakers don’t exist, and the effects are fantastic.
Sony also uses its Sound Field Optimisation processing to get the soundbar performing optimally for your particular room layout and viewing conditions.
In our Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 review, we said it “puts in arguably the most Atmos-y delivery we’ve heard from a solo soundbar”. We also remarked that it “pushes sound far out to the left and right, a long way into the room and right up to the ceiling” – which is exactly what you want from a soundbar.
The last thing you need to hear is gaps in the sound field, and the Sony is an expert at filling these in.
If there’s one area where soundbars can struggle, it’s in the bass department.
Given the laws of physics and the slim dimensions of many soundbars, it probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise that, generally, they can’t unleash a lot of low frequency heft.
But even when a subwoofer is added, the integration between bar and bass box isn’t always perfect and can make the sound more disjointed. The quality of bass can be sub-par too, with explosions and rumbles sounding thick, wallowy and ill-defined.
Which is why I’d take the bass performance from the recently tested Samsung HW-Q990F.
This soundbar package includes a cool cube subwoofer that not only hits hard with plenty of power behind it but also sounds controlled and dynamic, and paints low frequencies with the kind of tonal texture you rarely hear from such systems.
In our Samsung HW-Q990F review, we said bass sounds “organic, balanced, and seamlessly integrated into the system”, which is a tricky thing to accomplish.
The Nakamichi Dragon 11.4.6 might not have blown us away in the sound department, but there are a few features I’m drawn to that seem to make sense for a Dolby Atmos soundbar.
Take the satellite speakers. Each unit features two drivers pointing in different directions so that they can serve as surround or surround-back speakers.
Not only this, each one has an upward-firing driver on top that can be rotated to five pre-set positions to angle the overhead sound towards your seating position.
Other soundbars could learn from the Nakamichi’s wired connectivity and excellent choice of inputs too. These include an HDMI eARC socket plus three full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 connections that support 4K up to 120Hz, or 8K up to 60Hz, as well as VRR and ALLM.
The Dragon 11.4.6 also supports HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR through those HDMI passthrough ports. All Dolby formats are supported, as is DTS:X Pro, which is a rarity in the world of soundbars.
Oh, and did I mention this bonkers bar even has a concierge service, which you can use if you’re having any technical difficulties?
MORE:
After hours of measuring, I have come to the conclusion that full-fat Dolby Atmos doesn’t work in normal homes
3 reasons why video streaming devices remain relevant TV upgrades – but probably not for long
We asked you, What Hi-Fi?’s readers, if movies are better streamed or on a disc – and your responses made one thing clear
Intel software engineers continue ironing out their Linux support for Bartlett Lake.
Bartlett Lake is a P-core only processor making use of Raptor Cove cores that had been rumored for embedded systems and other long-term LGA-1700 based offerings. Intel engineers have been plumbing various elements of the Bartlett Lake platform support and for Linux 6.17 the Error Detection And Correction (EDAC) support for the system memory is en route.
Queued via this patch in edac-for-next is adding Bartlett Lake-S SoC support to the ie31200 EDAC driver.
“Bartlett Lake-S is a derivative of Raptor Lake-S and is optimized for IoT/Edge applications. It shares the same memory controller registers as Raptor Lake-S. Add compute die IDs of Bartlett Lake-S and reuse the configuration data of Raptor Lake-S for Bartlett Lake-S EDAC support.”
So with these IDs in place, with Linux 6.17 the EDAC support for Bartlett Lake should be in good shape.
Also in edac-for-next is adding support to the ie31200 driver for the Core i5 14600 and Core i7 14700 processors (non-K, K, and T variants) that was mistakenly left out.
That means we’ll be back in rural Colorado in less than two months’ time, with Alex (Ashby Gentry) and Cole (Noah LaLonde) no doubt causing plenty more headaches for our protagonist this time out.
While some criticised the arguable sidelining of Jackie in her own story, season 1 was received well enough to earn an instant renewal, with the news arriving mere days after the first run wrapped up.
That run saw grief-stricken Jackie leave her perfect life in Manhattan behind and move in with the Walter family after becoming an orphan.
At the same time, she was attempting to keep hold of her dream of studying at the prestigious Princeton University while also becoming close with the two clashing Walter brothers.
Speaking at the time of the renewal, creator and showrunner Melanie Halsall said (via Variety): “I am beyond thrilled that My Life with the Walter Boys has been renewed for a second season.
“We have been overwhelmed by the love and support that the audience has given the show and can’t wait to dive back into the world of Silver Falls and the lives of these characters.”
Executive producer Ed Glauser added: “The saying ‘it takes a village’ couldn’t be more true as it pertains to the success of My Life with the Walter Boys.
“From Ali Novak’s original novel, brilliantly adapted by Melanie Halsall, to our wonderful cast who brought her characters to life, and Netflix’s steadfast commitment, we’re thrilled to continue Jackie’s journey with season 2.”
What will that journey involve? Well, season 2 is likely to pick up from the end of season 1, which left the huge question of whether Jackie will pick Cole or Alex up in the air.
The end of August can’t come soon enough!
My Life with the Walter Boys returns to Netflix on Thursday 28th August.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How often do you count the amount of time it takes you to wee when you’re visiting the lavatory?
Probably never, but – according to one scientific study – it might be time to pull out a stop watch or start counting in your head.
Why, I hear you ask? Because the amount of time you it takes for you to relieve yourself may be linked to your overall health.
So why is 21 seconds the golden number when it comes to having a wee – and how on Earth did scientists even come to this conclusion?
Well, it’s all down to a group of researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology who came up with the ‘Law of Urination’ as a way to measure how healthy your bladder is.
The study won the Ig Nobel Prize for physics in 2015 (Getty Stock Images)
According to the research, any mammal who weighs over over three kilograms (6.6 pounds) should need an average of 21 seconds to completely empty their bladder.
The figure remains the same regardless of the size of animal once you pass three kilograms, as larger animals have longer urethras, which enables the urine to flow faster.
But why 21 seconds?
In order to determine this ideal number, scientists filled their days with watching clips of various mammals emptying their bladder in order to gain an understanding about how long an animal typically takes to pee.
Which I can only imagine meant they had a very intriguing internet history while researching the topic.
So now we have an idea about where scientists got the ideal number of 21 from, your next question is probably ‘how does this relate to me and my toilet habits?’
Watching videos of animals urinating definitely didn’t look strange out of context (Getty Stock Images)
Despite our reliance on smartphones and walking on two legs, humans are still mammals and consistently peeing for longer or shorter than 21 seconds could signal underlying health issues.
If a person spends much longer than 21 seconds peeing then it could be a sign they’re holding in urine for too long, leading to the bladder expanding more than it should.
Holding in pee can also lead to a number of unwanted conditions – such as UTIs or kidney issues – as well, which is why you want to make sure you’re visiting the loo regularly.
On the other hand, anyone who’s constantly dashing back and forth after every sip of water may have something known as an ‘overactive bladder’ – which is where you have the urge to pee even when you don’t need to.
The more you know, huh.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
Topics: Science, Weird, Health
KHAIRPUR: Pakistan: Three years after floods drowned Rasool Bux’s village in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province, he still fears every drop of rain.
The 52-year-old farmer from Gul Muhammad Sanjrani village in Khairpur worries another deluge could wipe out what little he has rebuilt. His animals are the main source of income for his family of seven. He sells about five kilograms of milk daily to keep the household running.
The 2022 floods were among the worst climate disasters in Pakistan’s history, pushing millions into poverty and devastating agricultural regions in the Sindh province. As new monsoon rains lash the province, farmers and experts say protecting livestock, often the only safety net for rural households, must be a national priority.
“We are afraid because of what we saw during the 2022 floods,” Bux told Arab News while feeding his two buffaloes and three cows at one of around 200 new climate-resilient shelters built by German relief organization Malteser International in collaboration with the Sindh government.
“Most villagers decided to leave their houses. We are poor people, so we stayed here on the road. Some of our animals perished.
“Then, there were also so many mosquitoes here. The nights were spent in sadness. We didn’t have the money to keep our remaining animals under mosquito nets.”
Today, the shelters are helping local farmers like Bux recover what the disaster swept away.
“These [shelters] are very beneficial to us since we used to have a lot of trouble while gathering our livestock,” he said.
“Our animals are at peace now.”
Livestock is the backbone of rural Pakistan’s economy, especially for families who may own no land. According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan issued in June, the sector supports over 8 million rural households, providing about 40 percent of their incomes and around 15 percent of the country’s GDP.
In a year when agriculture overall grew by just 0.6 percent, partly due to extreme weather, livestock still contributed 4.7 percent to the sector, the largest share.
Sindh, Pakistan’s second-largest crop-producing province, is especially vulnerable to floods. Around 930 kilometers of the Indus River snake through the region, making it one of the most flood-prone areas in the country, according to the International Growth Center.
In May, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved around $1.4 billion in climate financing for Pakistan under its Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), designed to strengthen the country’s defenses against future climate shocks and promote sustainable growth.
Local groups working on the ground hope the government will channel some of that money toward projects like climate-resilient animal shelters in flood-affected areas like his village.
“The need for animal shelters here is huge,” said Muhammad Junaid Soomro, a project engineer at the Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO), which is partnering with Malteser. “Even 300 to 400 such units will fall short of the need we have here on a union council basis.”
“We are working in five union councils only, while there are 89 union councils in this district,” he added, urging the government to prioritize livestock and agriculture in flood-hit areas once the IMF funds become available.
“They [Malteser] have made these shelters with a small amount of available funds. These can be made more climate resilient with the IMF’s climate resilient funding,” Soomro said.
In a written response to Arab News, the IMF said the RSF financing is meant to back broader policy reforms, not specific projects like livestock shelters.
“However, there are a number of ways in which the RSF will help to build climate resilience in Pakistan that will benefit Pakistanis living in flood-prone areas, such as farmers,” the IMF’s resident representative in Pakistan said.
He said the RSF supports reforms targeting water management and irrigation infrastructure, aiming to improve reliability and tackle issues like waterlogging, salinization, groundwater depletion and water insecurity.
“The RSF’s reforms take a whole-of-government approach, with some to be implemented at the provincial level,” the IMF representative added, noting that improved coordination between federal and provincial authorities will be key.
“LIVING BANK”
While larger, policy-level shifts are awaited, groups like Malteser and SRSO are meanwhile focused on immediate fixes, building small, elevated shelters that offer some protection from future flooding.
“We felt the need for building these here as the disaster, the flood had devastated our animal shelters as well as our homes in the community,” said Kanwal Hussain, a project officer at SRSO.
The bamboo, plastic and mud shelters are raised about three feet above ground level, with canopy walls to stop rainwater from pooling and weakening the roof.
“We have built a canopy wall so rainwater does not stay there and damage the roof,” Soomro said.
Imdad Hussain Siddiqui, who served as a director of operations at the Provincial Disaster Management Authority of Sindh during the 2022 floods, described livestock as a “living bank” for rural families.
“Animals are the sole remaining resource where land and crops are swept away by flooding because they provide rescue, safety and the sole avenue through which families can recover and rebuild their lives,” Siddiqui told Arab News.
He said the loss of 1.1 million animals during the 2022 floods meant “direct destitution and long-term poverty” for many families.
“Strong infrastructure of livestock will enable such linkages to recover in the near future, permitting economic activity and income-generating opportunities for the affected people,” Siddiqui explained.
In 2022, the international NGO Germanwatch ranked Pakistan first on its Climate Risk Index due to extreme weather events including floods, landslides and storms during the intense monsoon season.
Pakistan is already in the grip of another punishing monsoon, with over 60 people killed in rain-related incidents in just one week, a reminder that the next flood is never far away.
For farmers like Rasool Bux, every storm brings up the memory of what was lost in 2022 — and what could be lost again.
“More such shelters should be built in our village where some people can afford to build them while others cannot,” he said.
