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Abstract
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In the summer of 2022, a climate-fuelled disaster hit Pakistan on a scale not seen before in the region.
Extensive droughts were followed by monsoon rains that brought more than three-times the usual rainfall. The flooding that ensued submerged 10% of Pakistan's land, affected more than 33 million people, destroyed 1ยท7 million homes, and cost the lives of nearly 1400 people. It has wiped at least 3-4% of Pakistan's GDP off the books, according to the country's planning minister, Ahsan Iqbal.
Climate change played a key role in exacerbating the extreme rainfall that led to the flooding, according to a rapid attribution study. However, the scale and impact of the disaster was also driven by the country's historically rooted vulnerabilities and inequalities.
The Pakistan floods occurred during a summer of climate extremes in the northern hemisphere, with extreme heat, drought, and wildfires across much of China, Europe, and the USA. Not all climate disasters are experienced equally, however; both between and within countries, disadvantaged groups suffer the most..
Language: en |