Enormity of Pakistan floods viewed from space

The scope and severity of the flooding in Pakistan from two months of unusually heavy monsoon rains is drawing comparisons to the devastating rains of 2010. In some respects, it may exceed that benchmark.

The big picture: The flooding is especially severe in Sindh and Balochistan provinces in the country's south, where the Indus River has swelled well beyond its banks.

• International aid groups are mobilizing to provide support to millions displaced by the floodwaters, and the Pakistani military has been called into action. More than 1,000 people have been killed, according to officials.
• Pakistani officials have tied the flooding to human-caused climate change. Studies show that extreme precipitation events are becoming more intense and longer-lasting as global temperatures increase.

Zoom out: Satellite images capture the enormity of the challenge facing Pakistan — home to about 220 million people — in responding to this disaster.