The Facts
On Tue., the UN called for more than $160M in emergency funding to provide aid for millions affected by catastrophic flooding in Pakistan that has occurred since mid-June, killing more than 1,150 people.
At least 1M homes have reportedly been damaged or destroyed, 2M acres of agriculture submerged, and more than 33M people affected.
The Spin
Narrative A
Though Pakistan doesn't contribute very much to global carbon emissions, climate change has its monsoon season highly erratic and unpredictable in terms of onset, intensity, and areas affected. Through little fault of its own, the country will continue to face these types of disasters. It's time to demand emergency climate action.
Narrative B
Pakistan's increasing monsoon disaster isn't only the result of climate change; government ineptness also plays a huge role. Cities lack basic government services, and poorly designed infrastructure is particularly vulnerable, allowing rains to wreak havoc.
Narrative C
It's easy to dismiss any extreme weather event as a consequence of climate change, but in reality they're usually influenced by a myriad of factors that have nothing to do with it. More research is needed before we can establish any direct causal link between the two.