Experts Warn Climate Change Spurs Floods Surge

(MENAFN) From the monsoon belts of South Asia to the plains of the American South, floods are becoming more frequent and deadly, leaving hundreds dead and causing billions of dollars in damage. Experts warn that climate change is intensifying rainfall patterns, transforming what were once rare events into annual crises communities must now brace for.

“Even apparently small increases in global temperature dramatically increase the chances of unprecedented heat waves and floods,” said John Marsham, Met Office Joint Chair at the University of Leeds, in an interview with media. “We’re now seeing this play out with devastating floods all over the world.”

The summer of 2023 served as a stark reminder of this new global reality, with devastating floods sweeping through China, India, Pakistan, South Korea, Yemen, and the United States, destroying homes, displacing communities, and crippling critical infrastructure.

Asia Hit Hard by Monsoon Flooding
Floods across Asia have been particularly catastrophic this summer. In northern Pakistan, relentless rains, flash floods, and cloudbursts have claimed nearly 800 lives since late June, with over 460 fatalities occurring in a matter of weeks in August alone.

In India, a flash flood in Uttarakhand in early August led to the disappearance of more than 100 people as torrents from the Kheer Ganga river submerged homes, swept away vehicles, and buried entire villages under mudslides.

Meanwhile, in China, heavy rains in Gansu province in August claimed 22 lives, with dozens more still missing. Earlier in the summer, Beijing recorded some of its worst rainfall in decades, which killed at least 30 people and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands, as streets were submerged and bridges destroyed.

In South Korea, record rainfall in late July triggered deadly mudslides, killing at least 18 people and forcing the evacuation of more than 13,000 residents. The rains also caused widespread power outages and disrupted transportation.

Global Flooding Crisis Escalates
In Yemen, flash floods have killed at least 14 people, including several children, since last week. The situation is similarly dire in South Africa, where floods caused by torrential rains in Eastern Cape claimed nearly 50 lives in June.

Even regions not typically prone to monsoons have felt the wrath of the floods. In Texas, USA, flash floods in July swept through the state, killing at least 135 people, including more than 35 children. The floods devastated large areas, including a summer camp, leaving a tragic toll on the region.

As scientists warn of more frequent and extreme weather events in the future, the growing intensity of these floods is a stark reminder of the global climate crisis now unfolding.

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