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Pakistan receives heavy – often destructive – rains during its annual monsoon season, which is crucial for agriculture and water supplies.
But downpours as intense as this year’s have not been seen for decades.
“INSANITY AND SUICIDE”
On Friday (Sep 9), Guterres lamented the lack of attention the world gave to climate change – particularly the industrialised nations that scientists blame.
“This is insanity, this is collective suicide,” he said.
Pakistan is responsible for less than one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but is eighth on a list compiled by the non-governmental organisation Germanwatch of countries most vulnerable to extreme weather caused by climate change.
Guterres is touring flood-hit parts of the south on Saturday, and will also visit Mohenjo-daro, a centuries-old UNESCO-designated world heritage site threatened by the deluge.
Some 33 million people have been affected by the floods, which have destroyed around two million homes and business premises, washed away 7,000km of roads and collapsed 500 bridges.
The effect of the torrential rain has been twofold – destructive flash floods in rivers in the mountainous north, and a slow accumulation of water in the southern plains.
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