Current Situation
Pakistan has long been considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in the world. While Pakistan is one of the lowest contributors to climate change, it is one of the most impacted countries in the world. For the past 20 years, Pakistan has consistently been on the list of the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change. Despite a history of intense floods, the country was ill-prepared for this year’s monsoon season. Intractable political and economic crises have hampered Pakistan’s capacity to address the ongoing fallout, particularly the worsening humanitarian crisis. The current flooding has caused over $10 billion in damages, with the full extent of damage is yet to be ascertained as the crisis is ongoing.[1]
Extensive rains, which have pummelled Pakistan since June, have inundated the country, putting a third of it under water. More than 33 million people have been affected by the flooding, brought on by record monsoon rains amplified by climate change. One in seven Pakistanis has been affected, more than 1,350 people have died, with many sleeping under open skies, without shelter. About 900,000 livestock animals have been lost, and more than 2 million acres of farmland and 90 percent of crops have been damaged. The survivors, the majority of whom are poor, must now avoid hunger and disease lurking in the rising, foetid floodwater.[2]
