One of the oldest surviving settlements in the world has been hit hard by heavy rains in Pakistan – the country continues to suffer from the worst floods in its history.
Mohenjo-Daro, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Indus Valley, 508 kilometers from the port city of Karachi, was built in the Bronze Age, about 5,000 years ago.
Satellite images show that deadly floods have created a huge inland lake 100 km in diameter. The situation is aggravated by the fact that this place was used as temporary housing for residents of the surrounding villages, whose own houses were flooded.
Now they have been urgently given shelter in residential areas, parking areas, shops, and even on the ground floor of the museum.
Currently, a third of Pakistan’s territory is under water after monsoon rains and as a result of melting glaciers – several walls have already collapsed.
Most of the Mohenjo-Daro structures that were discovered in the 1920s are located above ground and prone to collapse.
The measures that have been taken, such as installing water pumps, repairing brickwork, and cleaning sewers, is not enough. Restorers suggest that flooding could pose a serious threat to the site, and even if the government provides 100 million Pakistani rupees ($45 million), it will not be enough for a complete renovation.
During its heyday, the city was a bustling metropolis. There were markets, public baths, a well-functioning sewerage system, and a Buddhist hill built of sun-baked bricks.
Scientists are sounding the alarm: Mohenjo-Daro may be added to the list of UNESCO sites in danger, as a historical site at serious risk of destruction.
Sites currently on the list include Florida’s Everglades National Park, which is facing significant environmental challenges, and the city of Liverpool, England, whose historic center is considered at risk of urbanization.