The devastating floods in Punjab and parts of north India are a stark reminder that climate vulnerability is no longer a distant threat but an immediate crisis reshaping lives and economies. With more than 30 lives lost, over 350,000 people displaced or affected, and all 23 districts declared flood-hit, the state is experiencing its worst inundation since 1988. What unfolds in Punjab today should concern not only its residents but the entire nation, for this disaster strikes at the heart of India’s food security.

Punjab is celebrated as the nation’s “food basket,” the land that has for decades produced the wheat and rice that fill Indian plates. Today, nearly 150,000 hectares of fertile land lie submerged, and the crops that once promised sustenance have been swallowed by floodwaters. In a state where a quarter of the population depends directly on agriculture, this is a livelihood catastrophe. Thousands of........

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