Severe floods, landslides across Asia have claim hundreds of lives

(MENAFN) Severe floods and landslides across Asia have claimed more than 1,700 lives and displaced over a million people in recent weeks, sweeping through crowded urban areas, river basins, and deforested hillsides, according to reports. Experts warn that such widespread destruction reflects a future in which extreme weather events may become increasingly common amid rising global temperatures.

Indonesia and Sri Lanka suffered the heaviest impacts, with entire districts submerged, transportation networks disrupted, and economic losses reaching billions of dollars. Hundreds of people remain unaccounted for.

Experts point to weak early warning systems, aging or inadequate infrastructure, uncontrolled urban expansion, and the removal of natural buffers as factors that have intensified the crisis.

The Asia-Pacific region experiences some of the world’s most frequent and severe cyclones, World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Celeste Saulo noted. She highlighted “record-breaking rainfall, storm surges and floods” that repeatedly displace millions of people and inflict substantial economic damage.

Of the recent fatalities, approximately 836 were reported in Indonesia and more than 600 in Sri Lanka. On Sumatra Island alone, flood-related damages are estimated at over $4 billion, while Sri Lanka has requested $200 million in emergency support from the International Monetary Fund to mitigate the losses.

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