Pakistan Diverts Vast Lake To Protect Populated Areas, Displacing Up To 100,000 People
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Pakistan Diverts Vast Lake To Protect Populated Areas, Displacing Up To 100,000 People
Relentless monsoon rains and melting glaciers in northern mountains have brought flooding to Pakistan that has affected 33 million people.
Pakistani authorities have diverted the country's largest freshwater lake, an action that will displace up to 100,000 people from their homes but could save more densely populated areas from surging floodwaters.
Sindh Province Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro said on September 4 that Lake Manchar had already reached dangerous levels, increasing the threat to surrounding areas in the southern region.
He estimated that about 100,000 people could be affected by the breach of the lake, which is used for water storage, but he said the move would help save more populated areas and also reduce water levels in other, harder-hit regions.
"By inflicting the breach, we have tried to save Sehwan town. Water levels on Johi and Mehar towns in Dadu District would be reduced by this breach in the lake," Shoro told Reuters.
Some people displaced amid the monsoon flooding have been reluctant to leave their homes, complaining that shelters are overcrowded.
Pakistan warned that more flooding could hit the area around Lake Manchar, which continues to swell from monsoon rains that have ravaged the country since June.
Lake Manchar is the largest natural fresh-water lake in Pakistan and among the largest in Asia.
Officials said on September 4 that the death toll from the flooding had topped 1,300.
Relentless monsoon rains and melting glaciers in northern mountains have brought flooding that has affected 33 million people.
In Pictures: Pakistan's Lethal Floods
1/18The rains that began in June have destroyed swaths of vital crops and damaged or destroyed more than a million homes, such as these in Balochistan Province.
The death toll from widespread flooding in Pakistan triggered by "monster monsoons" has surpassed 1,100 people and will lead to economic losses of at least $10 billion, officials in Islamabad said.
2/18A woman salvages her belongings near a makeshift home surrounded by water in Sohbatpur.
The death toll from widespread flooding in Pakistan triggered by "monster monsoons" has surpassed 1,100 people and will lead to economic losses of at least $10 billion, officials in Islamabad said.
3/18Because roads and bridges like this one in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province are being washed away, authorities and NGOs are finding it difficult to reach more than 33 million people affected by the floods.
The death toll from widespread flooding in Pakistan triggered by "monster monsoons" has surpassed 1,100 people and will lead to economic losses of at least $10 billion, officials in Islamabad said.
4/18With dry land limited, displaced people like this man in Mehar are seeking elevated positions to escape the flooded plains.
The death toll from widespread flooding in Pakistan triggered by "monster monsoons" has surpassed 1,100 people and will lead to economic losses of at least $10 billion, officials in Islamabad said.
5/18"We don't even have space to cook food. We need help," Rimsha Bibi, a schoolgirl in Dera Ghazi Khan in central Pakistan, told the AFP news agency.
The death toll from widespread flooding in Pakistan triggered by "monster monsoons" has surpassed 1,100 people and will lead to economic losses of at least $10 billion, officials in Islamabad said.
6/18The summer monsoon season often brings with it torrential rains that are needed for agriculture in areas such as Dera Allah Yar, in Balochistan.
The death toll from widespread flooding in Pakistan triggered by "monster monsoons" has surpassed 1,100 people and will lead to economic losses of at least $10 billion, officials in Islamabad said.
7/18However, this years monsoons have caused widespread misery, killing hundreds of people and devastating livestock and crops.
The death toll from widespread flooding in Pakistan triggered by "monster monsoons" has surpassed 1,100 people and will lead to economic losses of at least $10 billion, officials in Islamabad said.
8/18Pakistani officials have blamed climate change, which is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather around the world, for the destruction in areas such as the city of Sohbat Pur (pictured) in Baluchistan Province.
The death toll from widespread flooding in Pakistan triggered by "monster monsoons" has surpassed 1,100 people and will lead to economic losses of at least $10 billion, officials in Islamabad said.
9/18Compared to more affluent countries, Pakistan emits only a fraction of the greenhouse gases that are warming the world, yet it suffers outsized damage.
The death toll from widespread flooding in Pakistan triggered by "monster monsoons" has surpassed 1,100 people and will lead to economic losses of at least $10 billion, officials in Islamabad said.
10/18For families such as this one in Sohbatpur, in southwestern Balochistan Province, the nonstop rains have raised the possibility of food shortages during what is expected to be the most damaging monsoon season in recent memory.
The death toll from widespread flooding in Pakistan triggered by "monster monsoons" has surpassed 1,100 people and will lead to economic losses of at least $10 billion, officials in Islamabad said.
11/18"To see the devastation on the ground is really mind-boggling," Pakistani Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman told AFP.
The death toll from widespread flooding in Pakistan triggered by "monster monsoons" has surpassed 1,100 people and will lead to economic losses of at least $10 billion, officials in Islamabad said.
12/18"When we send in water pumps, they say 'Where do we pump the water?' It's all one big ocean, there's no dry land to pump the water out." Rehman added.
The death toll from widespread flooding in Pakistan triggered by "monster monsoons" has surpassed 1,100 people and will lead to economic losses of at least $10 billion, officials in Islamabad said.
13/18An overview shows fields and homes along the Indus River before flooding, in Rojhan on March 24.
The death toll from widespread flooding in Pakistan triggered by "monster monsoons" has surpassed 1,100 people and will lead to economic losses of at least $10 billion, officials in Islamabad said.
14/18The same location showing the Indus River during flooding on August 28.
Pakistan's meteorological office says the country as a whole had been deluged with twice the usual monsoon rainfall, but Balochistan and Sindh provinces had seen more than four times the average of the last three decades.
The death toll from widespread flooding in Pakistan triggered by "monster monsoons" has surpassed 1,100 people and will lead to economic losses of at least $10 billion, officials in Islamabad said.
15/18The disaster could not have come at a worse time for Pakistan, where the economy is in free fall and an already struggling population are now lining up to receive food delivered by the Pakistani Army.
The death toll from widespread flooding in Pakistan triggered by "monster monsoons" has surpassed 1,100 people and will lead to economic losses of at least $10 billion, officials in Islamabad said.
16/18The floods have made Pakistan's already dire need for international assistance worse. The government is attempting to help by compensating individuals who have been impacted, like these women in Sukkur, Sindh Province.
The death toll from widespread flooding in Pakistan triggered by "monster monsoons" has surpassed 1,100 people and will lead to economic losses of at least $10 billion, officials in Islamabad said.
17/18Woman and children eat food distributed by a charity in Sukkur, Sindh Province.
In the midst of the massive flooding, international aid has started to arrive in Pakistan. On August 28, cargo planes from Turkey and the United Arab Emirates arrived with tents, food, and other supplies.
The death toll from widespread flooding in Pakistan triggered by "monster monsoons" has surpassed 1,100 people and will lead to economic losses of at least $10 billion, officials in Islamabad said.
18/18Flood victims stand next to their tents in Mehar on August 29.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the world to come to Pakistan's aid as he launched a $160 million appeal to help the tens of millions affected by the disaster. "Let's stop sleepwalking towards the destruction of our planet by climate change. Today, it's Pakistan. Tomorrow, it could be your country," he said.
The death toll from widespread flooding in Pakistan triggered by "monster monsoons" has surpassed 1,100 people and will lead to economic losses of at least $10 billion, officials in Islamabad said.
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“The scale of devastation is massive and requires an immense humanitarian response,” said Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on September 3.
Earlier this month, Pakistan and the United Nations issued a joint appeal for $160 million in emergency funding to help flood victims.
Pakistani officials have said it will take at least $10 billion and many years for the country to recover from the disaster.
More rains have been predicted for the northern mountains through September 6.
