Article
Cheap solar pumps and near-zero regulation are driving unprecedented groundwater extraction across Pakistan. The crisis is invisible from the surface, but its consequences for cities, farmers and public health are not.
Concrete surfaces, shrinking tree cover and waste heat from buildings and traffic can make urban areas significantly hotter than their surroundings. As climate change raises baseline temperatures, the way cities are designed is becoming a growing public-health and planning concern.
Blocked drains, illegal construction and paved-over waterways mean moderate rainfall now floods Pakistani cities the way only extreme storms once did. Rain is the trigger, but governance decides the damage.
Glacial melt, ageing canals, untreated waste and a retreating delta are converging on one river system that carries Pakistan's food, cities and coastline. This is the story of a lifeline under mounting strain.
Spring heatwaves, erratic monsoons and shifting pest patterns are quietly rewriting the calendar farmers have followed for generations, forcing hard decisions on sowing, crop choice and survival.
