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nce again, monsoon rains have inundated vast stretches of Pakistan. Villages lie submerged, farmland ruined and families displaced. Such calamities are often described as “acts of God.” However, evidence increasingly shows that these floods are less about nature’s fury and more about human negligence.
Pakistan contributes less than one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it ranks among the most climate-vulnerable nations. Changing rainfall patterns, glacial melt and erratic monsoons have intensified the flood risks. But climate change is only part of the story. Unplanned development, maladaptation, weak governance and fragile infrastructure turn natural hazards into what the World Bank calls “unnatural disasters.”
According to the National Disaster Management Authority, at least 910 people including 241 children have lost their lives in rain- and flood-related incidents since June 26. Another 1,044 have been injured, 7,850 homes destroyed and 6,180 livestock killed. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suffered the heaviest losses with 504 fatalities, followed by the Punjab with 234. Sindh, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad also reported dozens of deaths.
The pattern is tragically familiar: extreme weather amplified by systemic weaknesses. The key factors are:
* Encroachment on waterways: Floodplains and riverbeds have been consumed by illegal housing and commercial expansion. When rains arrive, natural channels are blocked, pushing water into towns and villages.
* Aging systems: Irrigation networks built decades ago are failing. Clogged rivers, eroded embankments and out-of-regime canals cannot withstand today’s flows.
* Deforestation and soil erosion: Large-scale tree cutting accelerates runoff. With less soil to absorb water, torrents rush downstream at dangerous speeds.
* Urban chaos: Cities, especially Karachi, lack modern stormwater systems. Solid waste clogs drains and poorly designed roads trap rainwater.
* Weak governance: Unplanned road construction, poor enforcement of zoning laws and insufficient disaster preparedness mean that when floods strike, relief is slow and losses severe.
The debate over dams remains unsettled. Civil society expert Naseer Memon cautions, “Dams can provide partial relief by delaying flood flows, but they cannot stop massive floods. Pakistan’s large dams can store 6-7 million acre-feet. In 2010 more than 50 MAF water flowed through the Indus. No dam could contain such volumes. Worse, small dams in floodplains like Chenab’s will be unsafe, potentially resulting in worse disasters.”
If Pakistan continues to treat floods as one-off emergencies, the cycle of loss will only deepen. Climate change is accelerating and the margin for error is shrinking. These floods are not just rainfall events; they are serious warnings.
This underscores the fact structural fixes without governance reform are inadequate.
From the community’s perspective, the crisis is stark. Ahmed Dost, a resident of Gilgit, warns, “Forests in Gilgit, Chitral and Kashmir once acted as barriers against erosion and rapid runoff. With unchecked tree cutting, heavy rains now trigger devastating floods downstream. Locals even float timber in rivers to evade detection, a practice worsening erosion and intensifying floods.”
Lessons from other countries
After the 1953 floods, the Netherlands pioneered the Delta Works Project — combining dikes, storm surge barriers, wetlands restoration and strict land-use rules. It shifted from “fighting water” to “living with water.” Today, even extreme rainfall rarely causes major damage.
Pakistan must adopt a similar systemic shift. Solutions require not just concrete but coordination, enforcement and foresight:
* Invest in resilient reservoirs, embankments and drainage — but acknowledge the limits of these dams.
* Enforce bans on construction in riverbeds and floodplains.
* Launch nationwide reforestation drives to reduce runoff.
* Redesign urban drainage to prevent chronic waterlogging.
* Strengthen early warning systems and local disaster preparedness.
The World Bank’s Disaster Risk Reduction framework adds urgency, emphasising three pillars:
* Information: Move from ad hoc responses to risk-informed planning through local disaster and climate modelling.
* Institutions: Strengthen coordination between the NDMA, the PDMAs, Irrigation Departments and federal authorities.
* Infrastructure: Build climate-resilient infrastructure while dismantling unsafe development in vulnerable areas.
If Pakistan continues to treat floods as one-off emergencies, the cycle of loss will only deepen. Climate change is accelerating and the margin for error is shrinking. These floods are not just rainfall events; they are serious warnings.
As the World Bank notes, “climate hazards may be natural, but most disasters are man-made.” Whether Pakistan acts on this advice will determine if the next monsoon brings resilience — or another round of devastation.
The author is a gender and development professional. She can be reached at sanakhanzada4gmail.com