The Water Left Nothing' Torrential Monsoon Rainfall Deluges Villages Across Pakistan

Man Salim was used to seeing flood waters in the field of lush lily pads next to her home in the village of Kamanwala. But nothing had prepared her for this week, when torrential monsoon rains that broke a 49-year record lashed the area, flooding her house with water that rose above her chest.

- Aina J Khan

"The whole house has drowned. The water left nothing," the 24-year-old said.

Sitting just outside the city of Sialkot, from where the mountains of Kashmir can be seen on a clear day, Kamanwala is among more than 1,400 villages in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province deluged after three major rivers - the Sutlej, Chenab and Ravi - burst their banks because of heavy rain and the release of water from overflowing dams in neighboring India.

On Tuesday, the Palkhu - a tributary of the Chenab - also burst its banks. In just a few hours, Salim's family's entire life possessions were destroyed.

In the face of soaring inflation and the depreciation of the rupee, replacing possessions and repairing homes will be impossible for many.

"This is the first time in my life that this much flood water has come," said Salim's father, Sayed Muhamad, a 60-year-old laborer. "There's been no electricity, no water, no gas for three days. The damage that's been caused is around 500,000 Pakistani rupees (£1,300)."

Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change, despite producing less than 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Flooding is common during monsoon season, which occurs from July to September every year. But this year's monsoon rains - made more erratic, unpredictable and deadly by climate change - have unleashed unprecedented chaos that has left Pakistan and its government scrambling.