Steps for Climate Action in Pakistan

Pakistan on the Frontlines of Climate Change: 

A Test of Global Responsibility

By Liaqat Masih

Pakistan accounts for less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it remains among the most climate-vulnerable countries according to global risk analyses, such as the Germanwatch Climate Risk Index. This imbalance captures a defining injustice of the climate crisis: those least responsible are bearing the greatest burdens.

For Pakistan, climate change is not a future threat—it is a lived reality, reshaping water systems, food security, health, and livelihoods, and pushing millions deeper into vulnerability.

Geography That Magnifies Vulnerability

Pakistan’s climate exposure is tightly linked to its diverse and fragile geography. The country is home to more than 7,000 glaciers, the largest concentration outside the polar regions, according to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). These glaciers feed the Indus River system, which provides water to over 220 million people and supports nearly 90% of the country’s agriculture, per the World Bank.

Rising temperatures accelerate glacier melt, increasing the risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in the Himalayan foothills. Meanwhile, dependence on the South Asian monsoon, now increasingly erratic, has turned seasonal rains into a systemic risk, with heavier downpours interspersed with longer dry spells—a trend noted in the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report.

2025 Monsoon Floods: Evidence of a Worsening Climate

The 2025 monsoon season delivered a stark reminder of Pakistan’s climate vulnerability. Beginning in late June and continuing into September, intense monsoon rains triggered widespread flooding across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Azad Kashmir, damaging homes, infrastructure, and farmland.

By September, official counts placed the death toll from those floods at over 1,000 people, with more than 1 million affected nationwide. The hardest-hit regions included the Swat Valley and parts of Punjab, where evacuation and rescue operations were massive. 

Economic damage from the 2025 floods has been substantial. Analysts estimated total losses of Rs. 409 billion (approximately USD 1.4 billion), with agriculture bearing the brunt, as more than 1.3 million acres of farmland were submerged, threatening food production and rural livelihoods. 

Education was not immune: a UNESCO assessment found that damage to classrooms and water/sanitation facilities in flood-affected districts compromised the learning environment for more than 12,000 girls, underscoring the need for climate-resilient school infrastructure. 

These 2025 flood events underline a painful reality: climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events in Pakistan, amplifying existing socioeconomic vulnerabilities.

Disasters in Real Numbers

Pakistan’s climate disasters are not confined to a single year.

  • The 2022 floods affected over 33 million people, destroyed or damaged more than 2 million homes, and caused an estimated USD 30 billion in losses, according to the World Bank.
  • Heatwaves in provinces like Sindh and South Punjab have exceeded 50 °C, significantly reducing labor productivity and increasing heat stress illness, as reported by the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
  • National water stress is acute: per capita annual availability has shrunk from over 5,000 cubic meters in 1951 to below 900 cubic meters today, placing Pakistan within the “absolute scarcity” bracket. 

Food, Health, and Human Dignity at Risk

Climate change jeopardizes food security in a country where around 38% of the workforce depends on agriculture (Pakistan Economic Survey). Climate shocks have reduced yields of staples such as wheat and rice, while livestock mortality increases during extreme heat and drought.

Health challenges escalate in parallel. Floods often trigger outbreaks of water-borne diseases, while warmer temperatures expand the transmission zones of vector-borne infections like dengue, as documented by the World Health Organization. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that climate change compounds risks for children—who already face extremely high climate exposure according to UNICEF’s Climate Risk Index—leading to drowning, disease, and malnutrition. 

This nexus of climate, health, and human dignity raises profound ethical and moral questions: how do we protect life and ensure justice for populations who did little to cause the crisis yet endure its worst consequences?

Implementation Gaps and Policy Challenges

Pakistan has taken policy steps, including a National Climate Change Policy and updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. However, translating policy into action remains constrained by:

  • Fiscal limitations and debt pressures
  • Limited technical capacity at local government levels
  • Ineffective enforcement of environmental norms
  • Disaster management systems that remain reactive rather than preventive

Social inequalities compound these issues, with rural farmers, women, children, and informal workers disproportionately affected by climate shocks.

The Way Forward: Adaptation and Climate Justice

Given Pakistan’s minimal emissions, adaptation must be a priority, supported by equitable global climate finance.

Key steps include:

  • Scaling climate-resilient agriculture and efficient water management
  • Strengthening early warning systems and community preparedness
  • Expanding nature-based solutions, such as mangrove restoration along the Indus Delta
  • Investing in climate-resilient infrastructure and urban heat mitigation

Pakistan’s advocacy for Loss and Damage financing seeking grants rather than loans to address irreversible climate losses reflects a moral case for climate justice that goes beyond charity to shared responsibility under international law.

A Global Responsibility

Pakistan’s climate crisis is not isolated. It signals what many climate-vulnerable nations may face if global emissions continue unabated and climate finance remains inadequate.

  • For policymakers, this is a development and security challenge. 
  • For advocates, it is a justice imperative.
  • For faith communities, it is a moral call to protect life and creation.

Climate change is no longer a distant threat. It is here, demanding urgent action grounded in justice, solidarity, and collective courage.