As the monsoon season approaches, millions of Pakistanis once again face the grim reality of devastation that comes with heavy rainfall and flash flooding against an abysmal infrastructure ready to crumble at the sight of danger. The United Nations has already issued a stark warning, ringing shrill alarm bells about the potential horrors awaiting the country. The dangers are for everyone to see and the government to take notice. The devastating impact of monsoons on Pakistan is well-documented, with past seasons leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Today, when humanitarian bodies alerted that another 200,000 people in Pakistan could be affected by the climatic wrath, the alarms should have served as a chilling reminder of the looming dangers, forcing the authorities to snap out of complacency. For years on end, we have been reminded about the urgent need for preparedness and resilience building in the face of a fast-changing climatic scenario. According to the 2020 Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan stands among the top ten countries most vulnerable to climate change. In 2022, as the entire country demanded attention from the international community for the catastrophes inflicted by floods of biblical proportions due to industrial greed, which we had played no part in, experts cautioned that more frequent and severe disasters were heading our way. The damages caused by heavy rainfalls were unimaginable, with millions of homes destroyed, livelihoods lost, and at least a third of the nation torn apart. The effects of the disaster are still being felt, with many communities struggling to recover from the horrors. The scars of the past serve as a sobering reminder of the need to build resilience and preparedness in the face of events like floods, droughts, and heat waves. Although Pakistan’s precarious finances are an open secret, the fact that we have to rise above adversity with whatever we’ve got is just as undeniable a reality. These years have seen the global community loosen the drawstring for just a fraction of the pledged $11 billion. Ergo, it is now up to the provincial and federal governments to carve some space out of the balance sheet for the challenges due to a lack of adequate infrastructure, leaving the country vulnerable to the whims of nature. The need for resilience building and preparedness cannot be overstated. It is crucial to take swift and decisive actions to protect vulnerable communities. From investing in early warning systems finalising contingency plans and hammering out a collaborative network between different layers of governance, a lot needs to be done. That once we are in the clear, it is high time the authorities realise the urgency of going beyond statements, has been argued to the point of repetition. Nevertheless, the established practice of allowing nature to run its course while the pressing matter of climate change remains sidelined persists. *