EFSAS comments on the devastating floods in Pakistan and climate change
September 2, 2022
Since June, excessive torrential rains and the consequent flooding, which threatens to become the worst in the country’s history, has submerged a third of Pakistan and killed nearly 1,200 people. This monsoon, Pakistan has already received 390.7 millimetres (15.38 inches) of rain in the quarter ending August, which is nearly 190% more than the 30-year average for the country. Sindh province, with a population of 50 million, has been the worst affected, getting 466% more rain than the 30-year average. The provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan also continue to reel from the impact of the floods, while Punjab is less seriously affected. Climate minister Sherry Rahman told the press that “literally a third” of the country was under water, and the floods have affected 110 of the 150 districts of the country.
