In the first half of 2025 alone, Pakistan has been struck by two major climate-related disasters: an extreme heatwave in Sindh and a devastating glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in Gilgit-Baltistan. The heatwave pushed temperatures in Jacobabad beyond 52°C, while the GLOF wiped out entire communities in Hunza Valley, displacing thousands. These incidents are not mere seasonal variations, they are stark reminders of a warming planet colliding with a nation structurally unprepared to cope. Despite contributing less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan suffers disproportionately from climate change. The country’s failure to prepare, through planning, infrastructure, governance, and education, has turned natural hazards into recurring human catastrophes.
Despite contributing less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan suffers disproportionately from climate change.
Pakistan’s vulnerability is deeply linked to its geography. It lies at the crossroads of melting glaciers, arid zones, and low-lying coastal areas. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2021) places Pakistan among the ten most climate-vulnerable countries. With over 7,000 glaciers, the Himalayan region is melting faster than the global average. But as Dr. Adil Najam notes in his book Environment, Development and Human Security, vulnerability is not merely about nature; it is shaped by poor governance and weak institutional response. “It is not geography alone, but governance that determines the scale of climate impact,” Najam argues, a point validated with each unprepared disaster response.
The climate events of 2025 reveal a grim pattern. In May, the Sindh heatwave resulted in over 1,200 deaths, primarily among low-income workers and elderly citizens, according to a study by Aga Khan University (2025). Hospitals were overwhelmed, yet there were no heat action plans in most cities. In June, a GLOF in Gilgit-Baltistan displaced over 25,000 people and destroyed critical infrastructure. The Ministry of Climate Change’s GLOF-II Project (2025) identified 33 glacial lakes at high risk, yet early warning systems and safety protocols remain absent in most high-altitude villages. Despite early warnings by the Pakistan Meteorological Department, national and provincial authorities failed to act swiftly, mirroring past crises, such as the 2010 super floods and the 2022 monsoon disaster.
The repeated nature of these events underscores Pakistan’s chronic unpreparedness. Institutions such as the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) remain under-resourced and reactive. Akbar Zaidi, in his seminal work Issues in Pakistan’s Economy, argues that “disaster in Pakistan is often not caused by nature, but by human failure to prepare.” The same flood-prone districts are inundated year after year with little investment in embankments, water reservoirs, or resettlement planning. The absence of local government structures further hampers rapid response and long-term resilience building.
Environmental degradation is another key accelerant. Pakistan loses around 45,000 hectares of forest cover annually, according to the Pakistan Forest Institute. Urban centres 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 natural ability to absorb floodwaters. Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy, in Pakistan: The Threat Within, aptly notes that “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. 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. This places immense pressure on urban centres, which are already struggling with water shortages, housing deficits, and unemployment. Development economist Amartya Sen argues in Development as Freedom that true development is about expanding the real freedoms that people enjoy. But how can freedom flourish when livelihoods are destroyed by floods, and homes are lost to heatwaves?
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 are telling: in 2024-25, only 0.7% of the federal budget was assigned to climate adaptation, compared to over 17% for defence (Ministry of Finance, 2025). 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.
Pakistan also faces the cruel paradox of climate injustice. While it emits less than 1% of global CO?, 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, largely due to resistance from wealthier industrialised 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.
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 localised climate responses. Centralised 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 not rare events, they 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 spiralling 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 climate denial to climate action. The time for speeches has passed. The era for preparedness must begin today.
The writer is a journalist based in Islamabad.