Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Climate change and natural disasters are driving an unprecedented wave of human displacement worldwide, reshaping migration patterns and challenging governments&rsquo; ability to respond.&nbsp;According to the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC), in 2023, nearly 47 million new internal displacements were recorded globally, with 53% triggered by disasters, including storms, floods, wildfires, and earthquakes.&nbsp;The report notes that by the end of 2023, nearly 8 million people were living as internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to disasters across 82 countries and territories.&nbsp;In his message on International Migrants Day (IMD) on December 18, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighted Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to addressing climate and disaster displacement, saying:&nbsp;&ldquo;Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time. Pakistan &mdash; one of the countries most affected by extreme weather events &mdash; stands ready to deepen regional cooperation, strengthen early warning systems, and expand disaster-resilient infrastructure to protect affected populations and support those forced to flee their homes.&rdquo;&nbsp;Conflict and broader displacement crisisWhile disasters drive mobility, conflict remains the primary driver of displacement. Oxfam reports that more than 82 million people worldwide are currently forcibly displaced, the highest number since World War II.&nbsp;Five countries, Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Myanmar, account for two-thirds of cross-border displacement, with Syria alone responsible for 13.2 million refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons, Oxfam notes.&nbsp;Climate change as a driverThe UN&rsquo;s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) first warned in 1990 that climate impacts such as shoreline erosion, coastal flooding, and agricultural disruption could force millions to migrate.&nbsp;According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), climate and environmental stressors, ranging from slow-onset events like desertification and water scarcity to sudden disasters such as floods and storms, will increasingly shape migration trends in the coming decades.&nbsp;Impacts and protection gapsForced migration, whether climate- or conflict-driven, undermines development by placing pressure on urban infrastructure, slowing economic growth, increasing conflict risk, and negatively affecting health and education outcomes for displaced populations.&nbsp;However, climate migrants remain largely outside international refugee protections, leaving a significant legal and humanitarian gap.&nbsp;According to IOM, addressing climate- and disaster-driven displacement requires integrated planning that combines disaster risk reduction, infrastructure resilience, legal protections for migrants, and international cooperation.&nbsp;With extreme weather events projected to increase, the scale of displacement is likely to rise, making policy responses more urgent than ever, the IOM notes.

Climate

Climate and disaster-driven displacement are reshaping global migration

PARIS: Thousands of glaciers will vanish each year in the coming decades, leaving only a fraction standing by the end of the century unless global warming is curbed, according to a study published on Monday.&nbsp;Government action on climate change could determine whether the world loses 2,000 or 4,000 glaciers annually by the middle of the century, according to the research.&nbsp;A few degrees could be the difference between preserving almost half of the world&#39;s glaciers in 2100 -- or fewer than 10%.&nbsp;&quot;Our results underscore the urgency of ambitious climate policy,&quot; said the study published in the journal Nature Climate Change and led by glaciologist Lander Van Tricht.&nbsp;Researchers usually focus on the loss of mass and area of the world&#39;s ice giants, but Van Tricht and his colleagues set out to determine how many individual glaciers could melt away annually in this century.&nbsp;While the melting of smaller individual glaciers may have less impact on sea-level rise than larger ones, their loss can significantly harm tourism or local culture, the scientists said.&nbsp;&quot;The disappearance of each single glacier can have major local impacts, even if its meltwater contribution is small,&quot; Van Tricht from ETH Zurich and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, told reporters.&nbsp;Co-author Matthias Huss, also a glaciologist at ETH Zurich, took part in a symbolic funeral for the Pizol glacier in the Swiss Alps in 2019.&nbsp;&quot;The loss of glaciers that we are speaking about here is more than just a scientific concern. It really touches our hearts,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&#39;Peak extinction&#39;The scientists examined satellite-derived outlines of 211,490 glaciers from a global database to determine the year in which the largest number will disappear &mdash; a concept they coined &quot;peak glacier extinction&quot;.&nbsp;They used glacier computer models under several different warming scenarios, ranging from a world in which temperatures rise by 1.5&deg;C from pre-industrial levels to one in which they climb by 4&deg;C.&nbsp;Today, the world is losing around 1,000 glaciers every year, but the study warned that the pace is set to accelerate.&nbsp;The number of glaciers disappearing annually will peak at 2,000 by 2041, even if warming is limited to 1.5&deg;C -- the threshold countries pledged to pursue under the Paris Agreement to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.&nbsp;At that pace, 95,957 glaciers would remain around the planet by 2100, or just under half.&nbsp;The United Nations, however, has warned that warming is on track to exceed 1.5&deg;C in the next few years.&nbsp;Using projections showing temperatures would rise 2.7&deg;C under government policies, around 3,000 glaciers would disappear every year between 2040 and 2060, the glaciologists said.&nbsp;By 2100, only one in five glaciers, or 43,852, would have survived in a 2.7&deg;C world.&nbsp;Under a worst-case scenario in which temperatures rise by 4&deg;C, as many as 4,000 glaciers could disappear each year by the mid-2050s.&nbsp;Only 9% of glaciers, or 18,288, would remain by the end of the century.&nbsp;Almost zeroThe timing of peak glacier disappearance varies between regions, depending on their size and location.&nbsp;In areas with predominantly smaller glaciers, such as the European Alps and subtropical Andes, half could be gone within two decades.&nbsp;In parts of the world with larger glaciers, such as Greenland and the Antarctic periphery, peak glacier disappearance will occur later in the century.&nbsp;The researchers stressed that while glacier disappearances will peak in every scenario, the pace of decline will only begin to slow because there are fewer glaciers left. The bigger ones take more time to melt away.&nbsp;For example, Van Tricht said, the loss rate in the Alps will fall to almost zero by the end of the century, &quot;just because there are almost no glaciers left.&quot;

Thousands of glaciers will vanish annually in the coming decades, a study shows. Limiting global warming to 1.5°C could preserve nearly half of the world's glaciers by 2100; a 4°C rise would leave fewer than 10%, underscoring the urgency of climate action.

Thousands of glaciers to melt each year by mid-century: Study

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr. Musadik Malik on Friday said environmental degradation posed serious systemic risks to the global financial system, calling for stronger international cooperation and more accessible climate finance for vulnerable countries. The minister was speaking at a high-level leadership dialogue titled &ldquo;The Bottom Line: Why Tackling Environmental Degradation Is Critical to the Future of the Global Financial System,&rdquo; held on the sidelines of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi, said a press release issued by Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Climate Change on Saturday. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1999383452609839614&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=84e8dd3fdc87506bdfe0cb5416312fca06eeba51&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 832px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Dr. Malik&nbsp;highlighted the stark disparity faced by nations like Pakistan, noting that countries most affected by climate change have contributed the least to global emissions yet require substantial financial support to build resilience and protect development gains. &quot;Addressing climate change is a matter of collective global responsibility,&quot; Dr. Malik stated during his address, stressing the need for equitable financial flows and strong international cooperation. The dialogue brought together global leaders, policymakers, financial regulators and experts to discuss system-wide approaches aimed at redirecting private finance towards environmentally sustainable pathways. According to the press release, discussions focused on aligning financial flows with climate action, biodiversity protection, land restoration, pollution reduction and sustainable waste management, while strengthening long-term economic, social and environmental resilience. Participants underscored the importance of policy coherence, sound regulatory frameworks and whole-of-government approaches in creating enabling conditions for sustainable finance.&nbsp;Emphasis was also placed on mobilizing private capital for the transition of high-impact sectors and integrating environmental risks into financial decision-making. The minister reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to climate-resilient development and to supporting global efforts to align financial systems with environmental sustainability.

Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Dr. Musadik Malik, participated in a Leadership Dialogue held on the sidelines of the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya. (PID)

Climate & Environment

During the UN Environment meeting, Pakistan warned that climate change threatens global financial stability and called for stronger international cooperation and equitable climate finance to support countries most affected despite contributing least to emissions.

At UN, Pakistan urges climate finance to counter financial risks

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan risks losing 40% of its farmland due to the country&#39;s worst drought in decades, a new monitoring report warned. According to the latest Afghanistan Seasonal Monitor from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, the country is experiencing below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures that have triggered soil moisture deficits across the nation, The crisis marks the sixth consecutive year of poor weather conditions. Farmers are abandoning fields as irrigated crops struggle to survive and rain-fed wheat production continues to fall. Northern and central Afghanistan face precipitation deficits of up to 100 millimeters through December 2025, according to the monitor. Water shortages are exacerbating the crisis in these regions, which are seeing widespread crop failures, particularly in wheat farming, with soil moisture at critically low levels. In the northeast and central parts of the country, where rain-fed crops are vital, many farmers are unable to plant or maintain crops. Even irrigated areas are struggling with declining groundwater levels. A survey released in November by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime found that traditional irrigation systems, such as &quot;qanats&quot;, are failing, forcing farmers to dig deeper wells. Climate change has made droughts more frequent and severe, with above-average temperatures intensifying the situation. Snow water volumes, essential for irrigation, are at their lowest levels in years, the monitor said. Many farmers are seeing their income collapse as 40% of farmland remains unused. Even in irrigated areas, people face difficulties due to water scarcity and climate change. More than 75% of rural households depend on agriculture, and many are struggling with food insecurity, according to the report. The report warned that unless conditions improve, food shortages could worsen, causing higher food prices and economic instability. It predicted that if the situation persists, farmland abandonment and declining crop yields will continue, worsening the crisis for the country&#39;s farmers. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network was established by the US Agency for International Development in 1985 and provides early warning and analysis of acute food insecurity worldwide.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s worst drought in decades has led to widespread crop failures, with severe water shortages exacerbating food insecurity and economic instability, a new report warns.

Afghanistan at risk of losing 40% of farmland in worst drought in decades

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan called on the international community on Sunday to ensure quick,&nbsp;grant-based and predictable financing for climate-vulnerable developing countries, Secretary for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Aisha Humera Moriani said. Moriani spoke at a high-level side event titled &quot;Operationalizing Loss and Damage: Financing Resilience and Recovery in Vulnerable Countries,&quot;&nbsp;warning that repeated extreme weather events were deepening debt distress and slowing development progress in nations least responsible for global emissions. She stated that Pakistan was investing heavily in strengthening national climate resilience despite contributing less than 1% to global greenhouse gas emissions. The devastating floods of 2022 and 2025 displaced millions, destroyed large-scale infrastructure, and caused multi-billion-dollar economic losses.&nbsp; &quot;The scale and frequency of such disasters in developing countries underscore the disproportionate climate burden placed on nations that played almost no role in heating the planet,&quot; she said. The Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Ministry and UNICEF organized the event at the Pakistan Pavilion during the UN climate summit.&nbsp; Representatives of the newly created Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, government officials, development partners, and experts attended the event. They discussed practical steps for operationalizing the global Loss and Damage architecture. Panel speakers noted that repeated climate shocks had pushed many vulnerable economies into what they described as a &quot;debt emergency.&quot; Countries are forced to borrow for recovery and reconstruction in the absence of adequate grant-based support. New, additional, and concessional financing is essential if Loss and Damage assistance is to be transformative rather than short-term, they argued. Speakers noted how the children bore the heaviest share of the crisis. Pakistan has nearly half of its population below the age of 18.&nbsp; Moriani warned that recurring disasters were undermining nutrition, health, schooling, and mental wellbeing. &quot;Climate disasters are not only destroying infrastructure, they are also robbing a generation of its right to safety and opportunity,&quot; she said. Speakers stated that the Barbados Implementation Modalities must be prioritized to ensure timely and equitable financing for countries with limited fiscal room. This includes simplified application procedures, faster disbursement mechanisms, and flexible financial windows. They called for mechanisms that could respond effectively to slow-onset threats such as glacial melt, sea level rise, and desertification, in addition to sudden disasters. The Spokesperson for the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Saleem Shaikh, said a major focus of the discussion was directing support toward the most vulnerable segments, particularly children and young people. He stated how non-economic losses, mainly trauma, cultural disruption, displacement, and the breakdown of community structure, remained under-addressed in global policy frameworks. He said that Pakistan was ready to submit two proposals under the FRLD&#39;s initial funding cycle. The proposals aim at the reconstruction of critical social infrastructure and strengthening resilience in key sectors, including agriculture, community systems, and water resources. He noted how, while Pakistan continued to mobilize domestic resources, the scale of loss far outstripped national capacity. The country&rsquo;s climate ministry called the Loss and Damage finance a matter of national survival rather than an environmental concern. Pakistan asked for adherence to the principles of climate justice and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. &quot;Climate justice demands immediate access. Our people cannot wait,&quot; the ministerial statement said. It called on developed economies and multilateral institutions to move from political commitments to on-ground financial delivery. Moriani stated that Pakistan was committed to working with the UN, international partners, and climate finance bodies to create a fair global framework for climate recovery. The aim is to ensure that vulnerable states receive the resources needed to recover, rebuild, and thrive in a world experiencing accelerating climate impacts. &quot;Climate justice demands immediate access. Our people cannot wait,&quot; she said. The secretary called on international partners to translate political commitments into concrete financial support for the most vulnerable.

Pakistan calls on international community to provide rapid, grant-based financing for climate-vulnerable countries, highlighting the disproportionate climate burden and ongoing disasters affecting vulnerable populations.

COP30: Pakistan calls for grant-based climate finance for vulnerable nations

HANOI: Rescuers raced to find more than a dozen people still missing on Saturday after a week of heavy flooding in Vietnam, where authorities said at least 55 people have died.&nbsp;Relentless rain has lashed south-central Vietnam since late October and popular holiday destinations have been hit by several rounds of flooding.&nbsp;Whole city blocks were inundated this week in coastal Nha Trang, while deadly landslides struck highland passes around the Da Lat tourist hub.&nbsp;At least 55 people have been killed across six provinces since Sunday, while the search continues for 13 others, the environment ministry said in a statement released on Saturday.&nbsp;Mountainous Dak Lak province was the hardest hit, with more than two dozen fatalities, it said.&nbsp;Rescuers were still plucking people from treetops and the roofs of homes as floodwaters receded there on Friday, state media reported.&nbsp;Multiple highways remained impassable Saturday and 300,000 people were without power, after a blackout that initially affected more than a million, the environment ministry added.&nbsp;Natural disasters have left 279 people dead or missing in Vietnam and caused more than $2 billion in damage between January and October, according to the national statistics office.&nbsp;The Southeast Asian nation is prone to heavy rain between June and September, but scientists have identified a pattern of human-driven climate change making extreme weather more frequent and destructive.

Asia

Relentless rain has lashed south-central Vietnam since late October and popular holiday destinations have been hit by several rounds of flooding.

Vietnam flooding death toll rises to 55

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government on Thursday set &quot;a new benchmark in environmental protection&quot; as it launched a satellite-based monitoring system to protect forests in Pakistan&#39;s most populous province. A post on the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party&#39;s X account said that, under the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz,&nbsp;<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;" id="isPasted">satellite monitoring of &quot;all forests has begun for the first time.&quot;&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 624px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=e30%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1991432742110711859&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=19c9b982687b2f032373d995435efdfa1d18584d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>It said that the satellite used &quot;state-of-the-art technology to track forest coverage, prevent illegal logging, stop land encroachments, and safeguard wildlife.&quot;&nbsp; &quot;This real-time system will enable immediate action, guide tree plantation efforts, identify areas for afforestation, and even detect fires or estimate damage,&quot; the post on X said. In a separate post, the party said that illegal activity through the satellite monitoring system will be reported immediately, adding that the Environmental Protection Force will take immediate action based on the data.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 897px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=e30%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1991459382614454650&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=19c9b982687b2f032373d995435efdfa1d18584d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>It also said that the plantation and wildlife will be supported by satellite data, and remote sensing will make it possible to accurately monitor changes on the ground, eliminating land encroachment, manipulation, and double-dealing through electronic records &quot;The use of modern technology will prove helpful in identifying fires and estimating losses,&quot; the ruling party said. The data will also identify areas suitable for new reforestation efforts. Broader environmental initiativeThe satellite monitoring system is part of the provincial government&#39;s broader Green Program, an initiative aimed at combating climate change and promoting sustainable land use practices. The system will help protect existing forests, prevent land encroachments, and mitigate the impacts of illegal land use changes. It will also assist in assessing damage from natural disasters, such as forest fires. The province&rsquo;s Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb praised the new system, stating that it would significantly improve efforts to protect Punjab&#39;s forests. She said that the technology&#39;s real-time capabilities would be critical for responding to environmental threats, such as illegal deforestation and the ongoing challenges of climate change.

The initiative uses advanced satellite technology to track forest areas, tree coverage, and wildlife across the region in real time.

Pakistan launches satellite monitoring system to protect forests in Punjab

TEHRAN: Water levels at the dam reservoirs supplying Iran&#39;s northeastern city of Mashhad plunged below three percent, media reported Sunday, as the country suffers from severe water shortages.&nbsp;&quot;The water storage in Mashhad&#39;s dams has now fallen to less than three percent,&quot; Hossein Esmaeilian, the chief executive of the water company in Iran&#39;s second largest city by population, told ISNA news agency.&nbsp;He added that &quot;the current situation shows that managing water use is no longer merely a recommendation -- it has become a necessity.&quot;

Middle East

Water levels at the dam reservoirs supplying Iran's northeastern city of Mashhad plunged below three percent, media reported Sunday, as the country suffers from severe water shortages.

Dam reservoirs plunge below 3% in Iran's second city

TEHRAN: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned in a speech broadcast Friday that the capital, Tehran, may need to be evacuated because of water shortages if it does not rain before the end of the year. &ldquo;If it doesn&rsquo;t rain, we&rsquo;ll have to start rationing water in Tehran between late November and early December,&rdquo; Pezeshkian said in a speech aired on state TV.&ldquo;Even if we do ration it and it still doesn&rsquo;t rain by then, we&rsquo;ll run out of water. We&rsquo;ll have to evacuate Tehran.&rdquo; It was not immediately clear how the capital would be evacuated. Iran as a whole has been affected by dwindling rainfall, but the sprawling megacity of more than 10 million people is particularly vulnerable. On Sunday, the director of the regional water company, Behzad Parsa, warned in state media that there were just two weeks&rsquo; worth of water left in the main reservoir serving Tehran. Meanwhile, the Tasnim News Agency reported that the country&rsquo;s precipitation level this year had reached just 152 millimeters, a 40 percent decline compared with the 57-year average. The agency quoted Mohammad Reza Kavianpour, head of the Water Research Institute, as saying that several provinces &ldquo;experienced a 50 to 80 percent decline in precipitation.&rdquo; He added that storage in the capital&rsquo;s dams in the new water year, which began in late September, was around 250 million cubic meters, roughly half of the 490 million cubic meters recorded in the 2023&ndash;24 water year. &ldquo;We must prepare ourselves for a critical situation,&rdquo; he said, according to Tasnim. Water levels in the reservoirs supplying the capital have fallen to their lowest in decades, according to Mohsen Ardakani, director general of the provincial water company covering Tehran. &ldquo;In the last six months, the population has saved 10 percent of its water consumption,&rdquo; Ardakani said on state TV on Wednesday. &ldquo;If this figure reaches 20 percent, we will be able to ensure a stable water situation for the next one to two months when the rains start again,&rdquo; he added.Winter months in Tehran usually bring rainfall and often snow. A sharp decline in rainfall and reduced dam inflow have deepened the crisis, as Iran faces one of its worst droughts in decades. As a conservation measure, water supplies have reportedly been cut off in several neighborhoods of Tehran in recent months, while outages were frequent throughout the summer. In July and August, two public holidays were declared to save water and energy as power cuts became an almost daily occurrence amid a severe heatwave.

File Photo - Tehran via Wkimedia Commons 

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned in a speech broadcast Friday that the capital, Tehran, may need to be evacuated because of water shortages if it does not rain before the end of the year.

Iran president warns Tehran may face evacuation due to drought

LILOAN: Typhoon Kalmaegi killed at least 140 people and left another 127 missing after unleashing devastating flooding across the central Philippines, official figures showed Thursday, as the storm headed towards Vietnam. Floodwaters described as unprecedented rushed through Cebu province&#39;s towns and cities this week, sweeping away cars, riverside shanties and even massive shipping containers. The national civil defense office confirmed on Thursday 114 reported deaths, though that tally did not include an additional 28 recorded by Cebu provincial authorities. In Liloan, a town near Cebu City where 35 bodies have been recovered from flooded areas, AFP reporters saw cars still piled atop each other by floodwaters and roofs torn off buildings as residents attempted to dig out of the mud. Christine Aton&#39;s sister Michelle, who has a disability, was among Liloan&#39;s victims, trapped in her bedroom as the floodwaters rose inside their house. &quot;We tried to pry open (her bedroom door) with a kitchen knife and a crowbar but it wouldn&#39;t budge.... Then the refrigerator started to float,&quot; Aton, 29, said. &quot;I opened a window and my father and I swam out. We were crying because we wanted to save my older sister. &quot;But my father told me we couldn&#39;t do anything for her, that all three of us might end up dead.&quot; On neighboring Negros Island, where at least 30 people were killed, Kalmaegi&#39;s driving rain loosened volcanic mudflow that buried homes in Canlaon City, police Lieutenant Stephen Polinar told AFP on Wednesday. &quot;Eruptions of Kanlaon volcano since last year deposited volcanic material on its upper sections. When the rain fell, those deposits rumbled down onto the villages,&quot; he told AFP. The national death tally included six crew members of a military helicopter that crashed while on a typhoon relief mission. The water was ragingOn Wednesday, residents of Cebu&#39;s most-affected areas were busily cleaning up streets that had been rivers less than 24 hours earlier. &quot;Around four or five in the morning, the water was so strong that you couldn&#39;t even step outside,&quot; said Reynaldo Vergara, 53, adding that everything in his small shop in Mandaue had been lost when a nearby river overflowed. &quot;Nothing like this has ever happened. The water was raging.&quot; In nearby Talisay, where an informal settlement along a riverbank was washed away, AFP found 26-year-old Regie Mallorca already at work rebuilding his home. &quot;This will take time because I don&#39;t have the money yet. It will take months,&quot; he said as he mixed cement and sand atop the rubble. The area around Cebu City was deluged with 18.3 centimeters (around seven inches) of rain in the 24 hours before Kalmaegi&#39;s landfall, well over its 13.1 centimeters monthly average, weather specialist Charmagne Varilla told AFP. On Tuesday, provincial governor Pamela Baricuatro called the situation &quot;unprecedented&quot; and &quot;devastating.&quot; Scientists warn that storms are becoming more powerful due to human-driven climate change. Warmer oceans allow typhoons to strengthen rapidly, and a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, meaning heavier rainfall. In total, nearly 800,000 people were moved from the typhoon&#39;s path. Urgent and dangerousKalmaegi was gathering strength on Thursday as it headed towards neighboring Vietnam, where fear was mounting that the typhoon could compound the damage of a week of flooding that has already claimed 47 lives. As of 8 am, the storm boasted windspeeds of 155 kilometers (96 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 190 kph. The typhoon is forecast to make landfall in central Vietnam late Thursday, bringing waves as high as eight meters (26 feet) and powerful storm surges, according to the national weather bureau. Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha urged local authorities to treat Kalmaegi as &quot;urgent and dangerous,&quot; calling it &quot;a very abnormal&quot; storm in a statement Wednesday. Ten typhoons or tropical storms usually affect Vietnam, directly or offshore, in a given year, but Typhoon Kalmaegi is set to be the 13th of 2025. The Philippines has already reached its average of 20 such storms a year with Kalmaegi, weather specialist Varilla told AFP, adding at least &quot;three to five more&quot; storms could be expected by December&#39;s end.

Natural Disaster

The national civil defense office confirms 114 reported deaths, though that tally did not include an additional 28 recorded by Cebu provincial authorities.

Articles tagged with "Climate change"