Severe floods have struck large parts of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh recently, causing widespread devastation and claiming numerous lives while affecting millions of people. Rescue operations are in full swing, with authorities evacuating thousands to shelters and delivering essential supplies to those stranded by the rising waters.
Heavy monsoon rains have caused major rivers like the Brahmaputra and the Koshi to overflow their banks, leading to floods and landslides that are typical during this time of year but have been exacerbated by climate change in recent times.
In Nepal, heavy rains since early July have resulted in at least 14 fatalities, with critical highways blocked and bridges swept away by surging rivers.
Residents in the southeastern part of the country are on high alert as the Koshi river reaches dangerous levels. Meanwhile, in Assam, India, over 2.4 million people have been affected and 66 lives lost due to flooding since mid-May. The situation is expected to worsen with forecasts of more rain, particularly impacting areas along the Brahmaputra River, where roads and farmland are submerged.
In Bangladesh, two million people are grappling with floods that have submerged a quarter of the country’s districts, exacerbated by a significant rise in the Brahmaputra’s water levels. The situation has led to shortages of drinking water and food supplies in affected areas, compounding the challenges faced by communities already familiar with annual flooding.
The UN’s World Meteorological Organization has warned of continued heavy rainfall across South Asia until September, underscoring the ongoing threat posed by the monsoon season.
The current flooding represents one of the worst incidents in recent years, disrupting lives, displacing people, and causing substantial damage to infrastructure and wildlife habitats, including the loss of rhinos and other animals in Assam’s Kaziranga nature reserve.
Overall, the region is dealing with a humanitarian crisis compounded by the environmental impact of climate change, highlighting the urgent need for coordinated response efforts and long-term strategies to mitigate the effects of increasingly severe weather patterns.
[Source: BBC]
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw0y6wwn9yyo