One-third of Pakistan could be plunged under water before the floods that have already killed 1,000 people begin to recede, the country’s climate scientists have warned.
One-third of Pakistan could be plunged under water before the floods that have already killed 1,000 people begin to recede, the country’s climate scientists have warned.
Nearly 10 million people have been displaced and 300,000 homes have been destroyed by an “unprecedented and epic” deluge that dwarfs previously recorded monsoon flooding and has hit all four provinces of the country.
Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s most senior climate official, said that the Islamic nation was experiencing a “serious climate catastrophe, one of the hardest in the decade”.
“We are [at] ground zero of the frontline of extreme weather events, in [a] cascade of heatwaves, forest fires, flash floods, multiple glacial lake outbursts, flood events and now the monster monsoon of the decade is wreaking non-stop havoc [in] the country,” she said.
“We could well have one-fourth or one-third of Pakistan under water” by the time the rains recede.
All four of Pakistan’s main provinces have been affected by what some describe as the worst flooding in living memory. Nearly 300,000 homes have been destroyed, numerous roads rendered impassable and electricity outages have been widespread, affecting millions of people.
