The article was written (in Swedish) by Alexandra Urisman Otto and published on August 30, 2022. Below are some excerpts from the article translated into English.
More than 30 million people have been affected as large parts of Pakistan are under water, many of them being forced to leave their homes. Eight weeks of constant monsoon rains have led to enormous flooding in Pakistan. According to the country's Minister of Climate, Sherry Rehma, a third of the country is now under water. She describes the situation as a "climate catastrophe".
– What we are witnessing is a clear example of climate migration, says researcher Lina Eklund.
Lina Eklund, at Lund University, conducts research on climate migration, among other things. She says that the ongoing migration patterns in Pakistan are the most common form of climate migration:
These are people who are, first of all, trying to escape the direct danger of the situation. They leave their homes with the hope of being able to return again soon. They often migrate within the country, although in this particular case this is a challenge as such a large part of Pakistan is under water. Many people return to their homes when the immediate danger has decreased.
However, scarce resources and the fact that many are vulnerable to repeated disasters, place people in a "vulnerability trap".
– Climate change and its effects can thus also prevent people who would like to move from doing so as they simply lack the necessary resources.
