More than 120 lives half of them children have been lost in Pakistan over the past three weeks due to climate-driven flooding and related disasters according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). As monsoon rains intensify, the country once again finds itself on the frontlines of a climate emergency it did little to cause but continues to suffer from disproportionately.
The Rising Toll
Since June 26, a total of 124 deaths have been reported, largely from house collapses and flash floods, with drowning accounting for over 10% of the fatalities. Hardest hit are the provinces of Punjab (49 deaths) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (38), where rainfall has overwhelmed both rural and urban infrastructure.
In Lahore flooding left vast low-lying areas submerged and without electricity. In Swat Valley nine members of a single family were swept away by floodwaters while picnicking by the river.
The Climate Factor
Pakistan, with over 250 million people, is among the most climate-vulnerable countries despite contributing less than 0.5% of global emissions. The 2022 floods which killed nearly 1,700 people and displaced 30 million, are a stark reminder of this vulnerability. Damage from that disaster was estimated at nearly $30 billion.
This year, the situation is exacerbated by extreme heat in the Gilgit-Baltistan region home to more than 13,000 glaciers and often referred to as the “third pole.” Temperatures have exceeded 48°C (118°F), triggering accelerated glacial melting and raising fears of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs).
Is Climate Change to Blame?
Yes but not alone. Experts emphasize that the destruction is magnified by poor governance, lack of planning, and weak enforcement of environmental regulations.
Indeed, many fatalities occurred in areas with illegal or poorly constructed housing near watercourses. A 2023 UN-Habitat report found that over half of Pakistan urban population lives in informal settlements lacking proper drainage and flood mitigation infrastructure.
Government Response: Too Little, Too Late?
The NDMA insists it is better prepared this time citing early warnings, pre-positioned relief supplies and satellite monitoring. But critics argue that the country has not implemented any serious policy reforms since the 2022 catastrophe.
Despite securing $10 billion in pledges at a UN-backed donor conference in 2023, only $2.8 billion had been received by 2024. Moreover, much of the aid was in the form of loans, not grants, deepening the country’s debt crisis.
Earlier this year a former central bank chief estimated that Pakistan would need $40–50 billion annually until 2050 to tackle climate threats a figure far beyond its current capacity without systemic international support.
Pakistan crisis is a deadly convergence of global climate injustice and domestic policy failure. While the international community bears a moral and legal responsibility to help, Pakistan’s leadership must also confront the uncomfortable truth: without urgent, structural reforms in urban planning, disaster preparedness, and environmental governance, the toll from each monsoon season will only grow deadlier.