Monsoon Fury: Climate Change Claims The Lives Of 27 Children In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

(MENAFN- Tribal News Network) In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, extreme weather events have claimed the lives of 27 children in just 39 days, while monsoon storms and floods have destroyed hundreds of homes across the province. According to a report by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), from July 1st to August 8th, severe rains, flash floods, and landslides caused 61 fatalities in various districts of the province, including 27 children, 22 men, and 12 women. Additionally, 102 people were injured, and 704 homes were damaged, with 501 partially and 203 destroyed.

On the other hand, the regional meteorological department in Peshawar has forecasted more heavy rains and floods until August 20th. According to the department, global temperature increases have led to a rise in extreme weather events in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the past decade. Environmental experts and several United Nations agencies have also confirmed that climate change is driving the increase in extreme weather events such as floods, heavy rains, droughts, and heatwaves.

“At around 4 a.m. on the morning of July 30th, heavy rain was falling when I heard a loud thunderclap. Moments later, I heard the commotion of people. I rushed out into the rain and found out that lightning had struck a house in the village. Soon, I learned that a flash flood had entered my brother-in-law Amjad's house, and his entire family had drowned in the basement,” shared Malik Abrar, a 70-year-old resident of Dara Adam Khel in Kohat district, recounting the tragic incident of July 30th to TNN. He revealed that 10 members of his brother-in-law's family, including his sister, brother-in-law, and their children, had drowned in the basement.

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Speaking about the tragic event in the ancient village of Bazikhel in Darra Adam Khel and the timely rescue efforts, Malik Abrar said that the torrential rain hindered the rescue operations. Neighbors and the Rescue 1122 team arrived on the scene, but by then, it was too late: "It was a heartbreaking incident. The rescue operation was completed, and 10 people, including my sister, perished. Fortunately, Amjad's brother Waseem and his family were on the roof at the time, so they survived the incident. The deceased included six children, three women, and two men."

According to PDMA, most of the deaths in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were due to houses collapsing under heavy rain. Additionally, flash floods and landslides also contributed to the fatalities.

PDMA spokesperson Anwar Shehzad stated that due to the heavy rains, thousands of tourists were stranded for nearly six days in Kaghan Valley and the Minar Valley in Mansehra district. A temporary footpath was eventually constructed over the Manawar River in the Mahandri area with the cooperation of the local administration and the Frontier Works Organization, allowing people to safely continue their journeys.

Speaking to TNN, Anwar Shehzad revealed that around two dozen hotels, houses, and several electricity turbines in Mansehra district were swept away by flash floods. Similarly, due to the situation in the rivers and streams, the South Waziristan to Tank road was also closed to traffic, though it has now reopened.

Why Does Monsoon Turn Deadly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, monsoon rains are a regular occurrence, but due to climate change, the timing and intensity of these rains are becoming increasingly dangerous. Officials from the Meteorological Department in Peshawar told TNN that over the past five years, the intensity of rainfall has noticeably increased. The long but light winter rains no longer occur at their usual times. The prolonged light showers of December and January now stretch into March and April. What used to be spread over four days now often falls within two hours or a single day.

According to officials, this pattern is not limited to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but is observed in other provinces of Pakistan as well. When light, prolonged rains are condensed into just two hours, it leads to flash floods, which then engulf populated areas. The rising temperatures have also heightened the risk of floods due to the melting of glaciers, which is alarming.

They noted that the interval between floods in the province due to climate change is shrinking, while the intensity of rainfall has increased, a worrisome trend. The occurrence of floods during the monsoon season is now becoming a regular event.
Monsoon Floods Continue to Ravage Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as Climate Change Worsens

When we look at Pakistan's history, it becomes evident that major floods have always occurred during the monsoon season. Since the catastrophic 2010 floods, monsoon rains have increasingly taken on a flood-like intensity. The 2022 floods, however, were particularly devastating, affecting over 30 million people across Pakistan.

These deadly floods claimed more than 1,700 lives and destroyed nearly one million homes, inflicting an economic loss of approximately $15 billion on the country. More recently, record rainfall in March and April in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa led to several fatalities and significant agricultural damage.

Children Helpless in the Face of Climate Change

The alarming news of 27 children losing their lives within 39 days due to the recent monsoon rains raises many troubling questions. However, this is not an isolated issue; globally, the environmental crisis is disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations. Just as state machinery in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other provinces of Pakistan has failed to protect children from severe weather events, so too are many countries, particularly in the developing world, struggling to cope with the climate crisis. According to UNICEF's 2021 report, one billion children worldwide are at risk due to climate change. In Pakistan, where 30 million children are deprived of basic education due to poverty, climate change poses an ever-increasing threat to the country's future-a challenge that seems daunting to overcome.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has repeatedly warned policymakers worldwide through its research reports that climate change is now a critical threat that requires immediate solutions. In 2021, the IPCC highlighted the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, with detailed accounts of floods, droughts, torrential rains, and heatwaves in India and Pakistan.

Reflecting on the recent tragedy, Malik Abrar told TNN with a heavy heart, "Both the present and future of our family have been destroyed. This is a trauma we may never recover from, and the entire community mourns the loss of these children."

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