**Verdict: MISLEADING / EXAGGERATED CONTEXT**

Verdict: MISLEADING / EXAGGERATED CONTEXT

Headline: “BREAKING: Pakistan flooding is so severe that a NEW RIVER has appeared on Google Maps – proving climate change is destroying the country.”

The Claim: A viral post on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, shared over 50,000 times since Tuesday, claims that satellite images show a “brand new, permanent river” has formed in Sindh province due to the 2022 floods. The post includes a screenshot of Google Maps with a thick blue line running through the desert near Jacobabad, stating: “This was dry land 18 months ago. Now, water has carved a new channel. Pakistan is literally drowning.” The post uses the hashtags #ClimateGenocide and #PakistanFloods2024.

Our Fact Check: MISLEADING – LACKS CRITICAL CONTEXT

1. The Geography: The blue line shown in the viral screenshot is not a new permanent river. Experts at the Pakistan Meteorological Department and the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) confirm the feature is a temporary overflow channel from the Indus River, which formed during the unprecedented flooding of 2022.
2. Google Maps Delay: Satellite imagery on Google Maps is often 2–3 years old in rural areas. The image used is indeed a post-flood image from late 2022, showing water still standing on agricultural land and in natural drainage basins. It does not represent a permanent watercourse.
3. Current Reality: The area shown is now largely dry. While some low-lying fields remain waterlogged (a massive problem for farmers), there is no “new river.” A resident of the area told local media: “The water came, killed our livestock, and then receded. What remains is mud and salt.”
4. **The “