Elian Peltier and Zia ur-Rehman in The New York Times:
Pakistan is one of the world’s top producers of red chile peppers, and the small town of Kunri is its red chile capital. Farmers dry their chiles the old-fashioned way, in the sun, and on market days, the dust is so overwhelming that the fiery air makes eyes water and throats burn. But extreme weather — heat, floods, drought and the unpredictability and high costs that come with these events — is causing a way of life that has shaped generations of farmers to slowly disappear.
On a recent morning in Kunri, in southeastern Pakistan, Ahsan Ali Dars wandered his once-lush field of red chiles, now scarred by scorched crops, parched soil and empty patches. He scanned the sky for signs that the monsoon season was nearing, which might relieve the struggling plants stressed by months of extreme heat. But there wasn’t a drop of rain on the horizon, and within a few hours, the temperature would top 120 degrees.
More here.
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