Read: Photos from Libya’s devastating floodsDerna has become an emblem of ills that afflict many of Libya’s 7 million inhabitants: infrastructural decay, economic neglect, unpreparedness for global warming. Derna’s officials and Haftar’s military authority reportedly issued contradictory instructions as the storm approached: Some advised an evacuation and others ordered a curfew. But Haftar’s style of rule—kleptocratic, authoritarian, extractive—has made for poor stewardship of eastern Libya’s infrastructure and natural environment, leaving other communities vulnerable to climate-induced extreme weather events as well. The authority has taken control of eastern Libya’s agriculture, energy, and construction, with dire consequences for the environment. Those that hit the eastern city of Al-Bayda in late 2020 displaced thousands of people.
