More than 1.4 million people have been affected by floods in Punjab province of Pakistan, with over 265,000 evacuated, as per the provincial information minister.
Water levels have risen dangerously in Pakistan’s eastern province, home to about half of its 255 million people, with three transboundary rivers swelling beyond their banks.
The latest monsoon downpour has killed at least 13 people, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.
This year, landslides and floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains have killed more than 800 people countrywide since June.
While South Asia’s seasonal monsoon brings rainfall that farmers depend on, climate change is making the phenomenon more erratic, unpredictable and deadly across the region. Touring the flood-affected areas on 28 August, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasised the country’s vulnerability to climate change-fuelled disasters.
Pakistani authorities have said spillover released from dams in neighbouring India increased the flow of water rushing downstream to Punjab.
Floods in North India:
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall and raging rivers have also triggered landslides and flash floods across northern India. On 26 August, more than 30 people were killed near a popular Hindu shrine in Jammu & Kashmir.
Rains have also battered parts of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab states, leaving roads blocked and property submerged. Rescue operations are under way, with authorities deploying helicopters and boats to evacuate people stranded in the affected areas.
In Delhi, Yamuna River is flowing above the danger mark. Preparations are underway to evacuate people in low-lying areas.
In a risk-prone world, foresight is power.
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