Chandigarh, August 28: South Asia, home to nearly two billion people, is experiencing some of the most severe impacts of the climate crisis. From deadly landslides in the Himalayas to widespread flooding in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, scientists say global warming is intensifying monsoon rains and triggering disasters with growing frequency.
“This is no longer just a natural cycle of heavy rains. The climate crisis is reshaping weather patterns and making extreme events more destructive,” noted Anjal Prakash, climate expert and lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The monsoon, once a dependable seasonal lifeline, is now marked by sharp bursts of rainfall over short durations. According to India’s Meteorological Department, several regions have received in a few days the amount of rain they typically get in a month. Such concentrated rainfall overwhelms rivers, dams, and drainage systems, leading to flash floods and river breaches.
In the Himalayan belt, heavy downpours saturate already fragile slopes. When combined with deforestation, unplanned construction and road cutting, hillsides collapse, causing deadly landslides. “Every year, the mountains are being carved for highways and hydropower projects. When extreme rain comes, the land simply gives way,” said geologist Devendra Karki in Kathmandu.
South Asia’s geography makes it especially vulnerable. The Himalayas trap monsoon winds, forcing moisture-laden clouds to release torrents of rain. Meanwhile, low-lying river basins of the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Indus spread floodwaters across vast plains where millions live. Bangladesh, for instance, has nearly a third of its territory less than five meters above sea level, leaving villages perpetually at risk of submergence.
“In the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin, flooding is not new. What has changed is the intensity and frequency. We are seeing multiple extreme flood events in a single season,” said Arup Ghosh, a water resources analyst in Dhaka.
While climate change drives heavier rainfall, experts point out that human activities worsen the damage. Encroachment on floodplains, poorly planned urbanization, sand mining from rivers, and destruction of wetlands all reduce the land’s natural ability to absorb water.
Cities like Mumbai, Dhaka, and Karachi have paved over drainage channels and marshes, leading to urban floods after just a few hours of intense rain. “We are building on nature’s sponge,” said environmentalist Sunita Narain. “Once wetlands disappear, there is nowhere for the water to go.”
The economic and humanitarian toll is staggering. In Pakistan’s 2022 floods, more than 1,700 people died and damages exceeded $30 billion, according to the World Bank. In India this year, heavy rains have displaced tens of thousands, destroyed crops, and left dozens of villages submerged in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Assam. Nepal has reported dozens of landslide-related deaths in the past two months alone.
For poor families living on hillsides or riverbanks, rebuilding is becoming impossible. “We lost our home last year to a landslide, and again this year the floods came,” said Ramesh Thapa, a resident of Sindhupalchowk district in Nepal. “We cannot keep starting over.”
The IPCC has warned that South Asia will face more intense rainfall and rising temperatures in the coming decades if global emissions are not curbed. Warmer air holds more moisture, which translates into heavier downpours when storms form. Glacial melt in the Himalayas also contributes to rising river levels, adding another layer of risk.
“The climate crisis is not a future threat for South Asia—it is already here,” Prakash said. “Every government in the region must adapt urgently, but adaptation alone will not be enough without global efforts to cut emissions.”
Governments are beginning to respond. India has launched flood early-warning systems and climate-resilient housing projects. Bangladesh has invested in cyclone shelters and community preparedness. Nepal is working on slope stabilization programs. Yet experts argue these measures remain piecemeal.
“What is needed is a regional approach,” said Narain. “Rivers do not stop at borders. South Asia must cooperate on water management, early warnings, and sustainable development planning if we are to protect lives.”
As monsoon rains continue to batter the subcontinent this year, the human and economic costs serve as another reminder that climate change is not just an environmental issue, but a crisis affecting survival, livelihoods, and stability.
