Comprehension

The dire warnings of climate change experts are coming true. Flooding caused by torrential rainfall in the past two weeks has claimed close to 500 lives and left thousands homeless in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province. Tens of thousands of people in Durban are, reportedly, without water and there are concerns of an infectious disease outbreak. Authorities fear the toll could climb much higher. Intense rainfall in spring and early summer is part of South Africa’s weather pattern. In April-May, a low-pressure system, stemming from the westerly trough systems of cold air, develops south of the country and often results in inclement weather. In 2019, flash floods claimed 85 lives in Durban. But the intensity of the downpour this year was unprecedented. Some parts of Kwa Zulu-Natal experienced a year’s rainfall in less than 36 hours. The weather vagary is straight out of classical climate change literature: Warmer seas push large amounts of moisture into the atmosphere leading to intense spells of rainfall. But that’s one part of the story. The deluge’s catastrophic turn has much to do with a failing that’s common to several parts of the world, including India: Durban’s drainage system that has, at best, seen cosmetic improvements in more than a century, was ill-equipped to handle the relentless downpour. As in climate disasters in most parts of the world, the poor in South Africa have borne the brunt. Durban is a city of migrants, and large numbers live in shacks, locally called ”informal settlements”. These houses — an Apartheid-era legacy of the poor living in low-lying areas — were the first to be swept away by the flash floods. Experts have sounded the red alert for more extreme weather events in South Africa in the coming years. As in other parts of the world, the way forward lies in improving the accuracy of warning systems, and building the resilience of people, especially the poor. This should be the focus of adaptation strategies. 

Question: 1

According to the passage, climate disasters affect ....................

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Look for words that indicate emphasis or superlative degrees, such as "most," "especially," or phrases like "borne the brunt." These often point directly to the answer in questions about impact or significance.
Updated On: Oct 13, 2025
  • Lower middle class the most
  • Poor people the most
  • All the people in variably
  • Those live in formal settlements
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Question
The question asks which group of people is most affected by climate disasters, according to the passage.

Step 2: Locating the Relevant Information in the Passage
The passage makes a very clear statement on this topic: "As in climate disasters in most parts of the world, the poor in South Africa have borne the brunt." It further explains that people in "informal settlements" (shacks) in low-lying areas were the first to be swept away. The passage concludes that adaptation strategies should focus on building the resilience of "especially the poor."

Step 3: Evaluating the Options


(A) Lower middle class the most: The passage does not mention the lower middle class.

(B) Poor people the most: This directly aligns with the passage's explicit statements that the poor "have borne the brunt" and that resilience efforts should focus "especially the poor."

(C) All the people in variably: The word should be "invariably," meaning always and in every case. While disasters affect many, the passage emphasizes a disproportionate impact on the poor, so it does not affect everyone equally.

(D) Those live in formal settlements: This is the opposite of what the passage states. It specifies that people in "informal settlements" (shacks) were the most vulnerable.


Step 4: Final Answer
The passage repeatedly and explicitly states that poor people are the most affected group in climate disasters. Therefore, option (B) is the correct answer.
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