Climate Catastrophe in Pakistan: A Nation Unprepared for the New Normal
In the first half of 2025, Pakistan experienced two major climate-related disasters that highlighted the country’s growing vulnerability. An extreme heatwave in Sindh pushed temperatures in Jacobabad beyond 52°C, while a devastating glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in Gilgit-Baltistan wiped out entire communities in the Hunza Valley, displacing thousands. These events are not isolated incidents but clear indicators of a planet warming at an alarming rate and a nation unprepared to handle the consequences.
Despite contributing less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan is among the most affected by climate change. The country’s structural weaknesses—lack of planning, inadequate infrastructure, poor governance, and limited education—have turned natural hazards into recurring human crises. This situation is exacerbated by the nation’s unique geography, which places it at the intersection of melting glaciers, arid zones, and low-lying coastal areas. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2021), Pakistan ranks among the ten most climate-vulnerable countries globally.
The Himalayan region, home to over 7,000 glaciers, is melting faster than the global average. However, as Dr. Adil Najam argues in his book Environment, Development and Human Security, vulnerability is not just about nature—it is shaped by poor governance and weak institutional responses. “It is not geography alone, but governance that determines the scale of climate impact,” he states, a sentiment echoed in every disaster response that has failed to meet the needs of the people.
A Pattern of Disasters and Institutional Failure
The climate events of 2025 reveal a grim pattern. In May, a heatwave in Sindh resulted in over 1,200 deaths, primarily among low-income workers and the elderly. Hospitals were overwhelmed, yet most cities lacked heat action plans. In June, a GLOF in Gilgit-Baltistan displaced over 25,000 people and destroyed critical infrastructure. Despite early warnings from the Pakistan Meteorological Department, national and provincial authorities failed to act swiftly, mirroring past failures such as the 2010 super floods and the 2022 monsoon disaster.
This chronic unpreparedness is reflected in the under-resourced and reactive state of institutions like the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Akbar Zaidi, in Issues in Pakistan’s Economy, notes that “disaster in Pakistan is often not caused by nature, but by human failure to prepare.” Flood-prone districts continue to be inundated year after year with little investment in embankments, water reservoirs, or resettlement planning. The absence of strong local government structures further hampers rapid response and long-term resilience building.
Environmental Degradation and Rising Costs
Environmental degradation is another key factor accelerating the crisis. Pakistan loses around 45,000 hectares of forest cover annually, according to the Pakistan Forest Institute. Urban centers like Lahore and Karachi frequently rank among the world’s most polluted cities. Riverbeds and wetlands have been illegally encroached upon, especially in Punjab and Sindh, reducing their ability to absorb floodwaters. As Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy notes in Pakistan: The Threat Within, “environmental degradation is treated as a peripheral concern—until it becomes a central crisis.”
These environmental decisions, often made for short-term economic gain, end up intensifying the long-term costs of climate vulnerability. The human cost of these catastrophes is immense. The 2022 floods displaced over 8 million people, and in 2025, thousands more were uprooted by GLOFs and heat-induced migration. The World Bank estimates that Pakistan could face up to 20 million internal climate migrants by 2050 if current trends continue, placing immense pressure on urban centers already struggling with water shortages, housing deficits, and unemployment.
Policy Lag and Climate Education Deficits
Policy in Pakistan often lags behind scientific warnings. The National Climate Change Policy (NCCP), introduced in 2012 and revised in 2021, has seen little implementation on the ground. Budget allocations reflect this neglect: in 2024-25, only 0.7% of the federal budget was assigned to climate adaptation, compared to over 17% for defense. Coordination between federal and provincial departments remains weak, and disaster management authorities lack modern tools, human resources, and autonomy. Moreover, climate change is barely mentioned in school curricula or public discourse.
Research into indigenous solutions, such as traditional flood diversion systems or drought-resistant crops, is limited. This lack of knowledge and preparation leaves communities vulnerable when disasters strike.
Climate Justice and International Responsibility
Pakistan also faces the cruel paradox of climate injustice. While it emits less than 1% of global CO₂, it suffers from the worst consequences. At COP30 in Brazil earlier this year, Pakistan renewed its demand for “loss and damage” reparations, but progress was slow due to resistance from wealthier industrialized nations. As Naomi Klein reminds us in This Changes Everything, “Climate change is not just about carbon, it’s about capitalism, inequality, and neglect.” Pakistan’s suffering is emblematic of a global system that rewards emissions and punishes vulnerability.
Pathways to Resilience
So what needs to change? First, Pakistan must invest in climate-resilient infrastructure, flood-proof housing, early warning systems, reforestation, and sustainable agriculture. Countries like Bangladesh have shown that disaster fatalities can be reduced with low-cost, community-based solutions. Second, local governments need to be revived and empowered to handle localized climate responses. Centralized bureaucracies cannot deliver fast, adaptive solutions on the ground. Third, climate education must be made a priority, from schools to farmer training programs. Knowledge is a form of resilience.
Fourth, Pakistan should leverage its diplomatic capital to secure international climate finance, not only for mitigation but for adaptation and loss recovery. Lastly, economic planning must become climate-responsive. Infrastructure budgets should account for future risks, not just current growth.
The climate catastrophe facing Pakistan is no longer hypothetical; it is a present-day emergency. The events of 2025 should erase any remaining doubts about the urgency of the crisis. Heatwaves, glacial floods, and displacement are becoming the new normal. Yet institutional inertia and political short-termism continue to leave the nation exposed. If Pakistan fails to act decisively now, it risks spiraling into a future of perpetual recovery, where every season brings devastation, and every year resets developmental progress.
As environmentalist Bill McKibben famously said, “The planet doesn’t need saving. We do.” For Pakistan, saving means moving from reaction to resilience, from temporary aid to long-term investment, and from climate denial to climate action. The time for speeches has passed. The era for preparedness must begin today.
