Floods once again devastate Pakistan, two years after 2022 disaster

As monsoon rains lash Pakistan, millions still recovering from the catastrophic 2022 floods face renewed damage and uncertainty.

Zia ur-Rehman reports for The New York Times.


In short:

  • Heavy monsoon rains are striking Pakistan, affecting those still recovering from the 2022 floods, which killed more than 1,700 people.
  • Reconstruction efforts are lagging, with limited aid and poor infrastructure, leaving many in makeshift shelters.
  • Climate change is linked to the intensified monsoon seasons, with experts warning that flooding may worsen in the future.

Key quote:

"Our children are terrified of the rain now. Whenever it rains or the wind picks up, they cling to us and cry, ‘We will drown.’"

— Fauzia, flood survivor

Why this matters:

Pakistan’s recurring floods highlight the growing impact of climate change, which is displacing rural communities and crippling agriculture. Without significant intervention, millions face ongoing displacement and economic instability.

aerial view of Louisiana Delta
Getty Images For Unsplash+

Louisiana is shrinking. Some tribes are fighting to protect what’s left of their communities

Since the early 1930s, the state has lost about 2,000 square miles of land for a variety of reasons that range from groundwater pumping to building levees along the Misssisippi River that have stopped the natural dumping of sediment.

Six local people walking single file on a trail in Congo
Photo by Trésor Kande on Unsplash

US and EU critical minerals project could displace thousands in DRC – report

Up to 6,500 people are at risk of being displaced amid a global race to secure supplies of copper, cobalt and other “critical minerals”.

The Berkeley Pit, a former open pit copper mine located in Butte, Montana.
Credit: JWCohen/Big Stock Photo

A land fight pits a sacred Apache tradition against a copper mine

An Apache girl comes of age in a traditional ceremony, possibly the last at Oak Flat before copper mining threatens to transform the sacred site in Arizona.
The exterior of a generic warehouse-type building

Data center Project Jupiter’s greenhouse gas emissions could rival NM’s largest cities

Developers of Project Jupiter are seeking state approval for emissions that could surpass the combined greenhouse gases of Albuquerque and Las Cruces, while advocates warn the split-permit approach skirts regulations meant to limit major air pollution sources.

A construction worker pouring cement into open bricks

From extreme heat to poor mental health: How climate change is harming the workplace

Experts warn rising extreme heat is boosting global worker health risks, cutting productivity, and worsening safety under climate change.

A view of wind turbines as if from beneath the water

Blown away: The wind turbine project caught in a Trump battle

A new episode of Stories From The States examines how the Trump administration’s abrupt halt of the nearly finished Revolution Wind project rattled union workers along the New England coast and threatened Rhode Island and Connecticut’s decarbonization plans.

A row of oil drilling pump jacks stretching into the distance at sunset

‘Divide and conquer’: Inside the oil and gas strategy to thwart EU green laws

Major U.S. fossil fuel companies, working through PR firm Teneo, coordinated an aggressive campaign to dilute the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive by aligning decision makers with far-right factions and leveraging U.S.–EU trade tensions.

From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.