An early start to the peak monsoon season has triggered catastrophic landslides in northern Pakistan, burying vehicles, blocking highways, and leaving at least five dead, Phys.org reported.
Severe rains have killed at least 221 people, including 104 children, since the start of the monsoon season in June, according to government data cited by Phys.org.
"Such death tolls are usually seen in August, but this year the impact has been markedly different," said a spokesperson for Pakistan's National Disaster Management Agency, according to Phys.org.
What's happening?
Torrential rainfall in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of mountainous northern Pakistan triggered a massive landslide that swept at least eight cars off of a key highway, blocking access and burying vehicles, according to Phys.org.
The slide left tourists stranded and locals homeless, with roughly 100 homes destroyed, local officials said, per Phys.org.
The landslide left hundreds of tourists stranded, but emergency workers ultimately were able to safely evacuate them from the area.
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"Government teams cleared debris and escorted them off the mountain road," said Faizullah Faraq, a spokesperson for the regional government, referring to the trapped tourists, according to Phys.org.
Meanwhile, locals were left to deal with the destruction, which included heavy damage to a school, multiple bridges, a hotel, and communication infrastructure, according to Phys.org.
Why are there so many landslides in the news lately?
Like other areas around the globe, the mountainous regions of Pakistan have seen more intense rainfall due to rising global temperatures.
For every one degree Fahrenheit that air warms, it can hold 4% more moisture, according to the nonprofit Climate Central.
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Definitely 👍 When this moisture eventually falls back to Earth as precipitation, the result is more severe rainstorms.
A study published in 2020 predicted that more intense rainfall in High Mountain Asia, which includes parts of China, India, Tibet, and Pakistan, would result in a greater number of landslides in the region.
"High Mountain Asia is home to both monsoonal rains and the largest concentration of glaciers outside the North and South Poles," wrote the study's authors. "With climate change, heavy rainfall will increase, especially in mountains near glaciers and glacial lakes."
"This will make landslides more likely and could present new hazards of landslides releasing a wall of water from glacial lakes, impacting communities and infrastructure … located downstream," they continued.
The phenomenon of more severe rainstorms is not limited to the Himalayas.
A study by Climate Central found that 88% of the 144 U.S. cities analyzed have experienced increased rainfall intensity since 1970. On average, those cities saw hourly rainfall intensity increase by 15%.
Greater rainfall intensity gives both human-made and natural flood-prevention systems less time to drain away massive amounts of water, resulting in flash floods and landslides.
What's being done about the growing number of landslides?
For decades, scientists have warned that, as global temperatures rise, the intensity of severe weather events will also increase.
In order to avoid the worst impacts of rising global temperatures, it is necessary to limit the amount of heat-trapping pollution entering the atmosphere.
There are plenty of actions people can take every day to reduce the amount of planet-heating pollution being generated while also improving local air quality and potentially getting some exercise in the process.
Walking, riding a bike, taking public transit, or driving an EV are all great ways to reduce pollution.
To take it a step further, you can install solar panels on your home. Plus, combining solar panels with a home battery system can make your home more resilient in the event of a power outage.
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