How Pakistan floods are linked to climate change

By Muhammad Aslam Nadeem Rana. The devastating floods in Pakistan are a "wake-up call" to the world on the threats of climate change, experts have said.

Pakistan is located at a place on the globe which bears the brunt of two major weather systems. One can cause high temperatures and drought, like the heatwave in March, and the other brings monsoon rains. The majority of Pakistan's population live along the Indus river, which swells and can flood during monsoon rains. The science linking climate change and more intense monsoons is quite simple. Global warming is making air and sea temperatures rise, leading to more evaporation. Warmer air can hold more moisture, making monsoon rainfall more intense. Scientists predict that the average rainfall in the Indian summer monsoon season will increase due to climate change But Pakistan has something else making it susceptible to climate change effects - its immense glaciers. The northern region is sometimes referred to as the 'third pole' - it contains more glacial ice than anywhere in the world outside of the polar regions. As the world warms, glacial ice is melting. Glaciers in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions are melting rapidly, creating more than 3,000 lakes, According toUN Development Programme, around 33 of these are at risk of sudden bursting, which could unleash millions of cubic meters of water and debris, putting 7 million people at risk. Pakistan contributes less than 1% of the global greenhouse gases that warm our planet but its geography makes it extremely vulnerable to climate change. Pakistan received nearly 190% more rain than its 30-year average from June to August - reaching a total of 390.7mm. " آا