In a significant diplomatic shift prompted by mounting climate risk, Nepal and China have agreed to begin sharing critical cross-border intelligence on glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) that threaten lives and livelihoods in the fragile Himalayan region.
In one part of the world, floods inundate entire cities. In another, droughts silently wither crops. Glaciers, which took centuries to form, are disappearing in decades. Groundwater, hidden and unseen, is being depleted faster than it can be replenished.
Of Islamabad's approximately 41,520 registered Afghan citizens, many retain memories of earlier refuge. Before 2006, some 25,000 had lived in a refugee camp within the Islamabad Capital Territory.
For Pakistan, the challenge now is twofold: to address the immediate humanitarian needs of thousands of displaced people, and to commit to the long-term infrastructure, environmental and policy changes needed to withstand the storms of a warming world.
Local residents who captured the dramatic video scenes on their mobile camera said the floodwaters surged without warning, leaving people little time to escape.
The report paints a vivid picture of how climate change is not only altering ecosystems but also exposing communities – especially the most vulnerable – to new and intensifying dangers.
The study, published this month in Nature Communications, Earth and Environment, says East Asian efforts to reduce atmospheric aerosols was likely to have accelerated global surface warming since around 2010.
Pakistan has the potential to turn the tide. With smarter agriculture, technological adoption, community-driven conservation, and political will for infrastructure, the nation can secure water for future generations.
Pakistan has the potential to turn the tide. With smarter agriculture, technological adoption, community-driven conservation, and political will for infrastructure, the nation can secure water for future generations.
The new bill is expected to complement these efforts by creating a robust domestic legal arsenal. It builds on existing tools like the proceeds of crime act while addressing gaps that have allowed convicted offenders to evade full accountability. Legal experts anticipate faster prosecutions and stronger deterrence, potentially reducing the cycle of gang-related violence that has terrorized communities.