Indian mother delivers baby on boat as her river island is inundated by floodwaters

A blue tarp covered a mother and her newborn daughter from the incessant rain on their boat journey. Jahanara Khatoon had just given birth on the boat on their way to a healthcare center, surrounded by the raging floodwaters of the Brahmaputra River. She and her husband had left their home on Phuliamari Char, one of the islands in the river, after it was inundated by floodwaters. Increased rainfall in the region blamed on climate change has made the river — already known for its powerful, unpredictable flow — even more dangerous for those who live near it. India, and Assam state in particular, is seen as one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to climate change.