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In Study of Pakistan’s Floods, Scientists See Climate Change at Work

"A growing field called attribution science is helping researchers rapidly assess the links between global warming and weather disasters."

"Pakistan began receiving abnormally heavy rain in mid-June, and, by late August, drenching downpours were declared a national emergency. The southern part of the Indus River, which traverses the length of the country, became a vast lake. Villages have become islands, surrounded by putrid water that stretches to the horizon. More than 1,500 people have died. Floodwaters could take months to recede.

The deluges were made worse by global warming caused by greenhouse-gas emissions, scientists said Thursday, drawing upon a fast-growing field of research that gauges the influence of climate change on specific extreme weather events soon after they occur — and while societies are still dealing with their shattering consequences.

As climate scientists’ techniques improve, they can assess, with ever-greater confidence and specificity, how human-induced changes in Earth’s chemistry are affecting the severe weather outside our windows, adding weight and urgency to questions about how nations should adapt."

Raymond Zhong reports for the New York Times September 15, 2022.

SEE ALSO:

"Pakistan's Devastating Floodwaters Could Take 6 Months To Recede" (HuffPost)

"In Pakistan, 33 Million People Have Been Displaced by Climate-Intensified Floods" (Inside Climate News)

"Children, Women Hit By Disease In Pakistan's Stagnant Waters After Floods" (Reuters)

Source: NYTimes, 09/16/2022