In brief
The annual monsoon season in Pakistan has become a deadly affair, with the 2025 floods resulting in over 1,000 fatalities and millions displaced. Communities, particularly the poorest, endure repeated cycles of loss, as climate change compounds the severity of flooding. Following tragic stories of families torn apart, the article examines the direct links between climate policy failures, illegal construction practices, and the urgent need for sustainable solutions amid an unsettling future of extreme weather events.
Rescuers and relatives searched knee-deep in water for the body of one-year-old Zara. She'd been swept away by flash floods; the bodies of her parents and three siblings had already been found days earlier.
Her grandfather recounted the terror as the rising waters engulfed their homes in Sambrial, Punjab, underscoring a harsh reality: each year, monsoon season brings similar devastation.
This year's floods began in June, unleashing a torrent that led to over a thousand casualties and affected nearly seven million, according to the UN. Despite generating just 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan grapples with the severe effects of climate change, witnessing varied regional impacts from glacial lake bursts to flash floods.
Aside from loss of life, communities have experienced destruction of homes and livelihoods, with the poorest suffering the most. Villagers have become resigned to this cycle, bracing for another round of flooding during upcoming seasons.
The northern regions, particularly Gilgit-Baltistan with its melting glaciers, face risks of sudden glacial lake outbursts. In contrast, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa deals with flash floods triggered by cloudbursts, leveling villages and delaying rescue efforts.
Despite laws prohibiting construction on floodplains, illegal building persists in many areas due to corruption and ineffective enforcement, exacerbating the crisis. In Punjab's capital, urban floods highlight a stark divide: affluent areas like Park View City faced water inundation, yet poorer communities experienced more devastating losses.
As millions remain displaced, calls for climate-resilient infrastructure and policies grow louder, as advocates emphasize the urgent need for change in Pakistan's approach to disaster preparedness and response.
