ISLAMABAD: Nearly 10 million Pakistanis live in the 20 most vulnerable districts-about two million are women of reproductive age, and a similar number are children under five. More than half of this population resides in Balochistan, making up over 40 percent of the province’s total population.
The statistics were shared in District Vulnerability Index for Pakistan (DVIP) titled “Harnessing Multisectoral Data to Inform Equitable Policy and Climate Action,” launched by the Population Council on Monday. Federal Minister for Finance, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb was the chief guest on the occasion.
The DVIP report says that among the 20 least vulnerable districts, 13 are in Punjab, four in Sindh, two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and none in Balochistan. In contrast, the most vulnerable category includes two districts in KP, only one in Sindh, none in Punjab, and an alarming 17 in Balochistan.
The five least vulnerable districts in the country are the four urban districts of Karachi in Sindh, followed by Lahore in Punjab. Conversely, the five most vulnerable districts include Washuk, Khuzdar, Kohlu and Zhob in Balochistan, and Kohistan in KP.
In the 20 worst-performing districts in the housing domain, over 65 percent of households live in temporary or makeshift structures; half lack toilet facilities; and 40 percent have no access to improved water facilities.
In districts like Sohbatpur (Balochistan), 75 percent of households live in one-room dwellings. In Jhal Magsi, also in Balochistan, an extraordinary 97 percent of households reside in kacha or semi-pakka homes.
The communication and transportation domain also highlights widespread disconnection in Balochistan. Many contiguous districts severely lack adequate access to roads, transport, or telephone services within reachable distances.
These deficits severely limit crisis response, emergency relief efforts and resilience-building at household, community and district government levels. In contrast, much of Punjab, particularly its northern and central regions, has relatively strong infrastructure in this domain.
In the livelihoods domain, 15 of the 20 lowest-ranked districts are in Balochistan. KP and Balochistan also exhibit the highest unemployment rates and the largest proportions of unpaid family workers, reflecting fragile and precarious livelihoods.
Both KP and Balochistan also stand out as more vulnerable in the access to health domain, with lower accessibility of health facilities and limited doorstep community health outreach, and also wide disparities in health access between districts within the province.
In the most vulnerable districts, the average distance to the nearest health facility exceeds 30 kilometers. When coupled with poor transportation and communication infrastructure, this severely hinders access to essential services to meet basic health needs, especially maternal and child healthcare.
In terms of access to public education facilities, Karachi stands out with the highest density of primary and high/ higher secondary schools, though this may be due in part to its high population density.
The most vulnerable districts are concentrated in Balochistan, where low school density and long travel distances are likely exacerbated by vulnerability in the transportation domain. Notably, across all provinces, except Punjab, girls tend to face greater distances to high/ higher secondary schools than boys.
Many districts in Balochistan and KP score poorly in the demographics domain, although Tharparkar (Sindh) ranks as the most vulnerable. High fertility, measured by the proportion of children under age five, is a key driver of demographic vulnerability.
While high fertility pervades across Pakistan, some districts lag far behind in the fertility transition, contributing to unusually large families. This pattern likely intersects vulnerability in other domains, such as access to education and health services.
The findings reinforce that districts that are highly dependent on agriculture for livelihoods, have limited access to basic services, and face geographic isolation are at greater risk of damage and destruction when faced with climate risk.
The results of the DVIP point to the strong need for addressing the root causes of vulnerability with political priorities focused on tackling poverty, improving access to education and healthcare (including family planning), and ensuring equal economic opportunities for marginalised populations.
Speaking on this occasion, the finance minister underscored that Pakistan’s long-term economic prospects depend on effectively confronting the dual national challenges of rapid population growth and climate vulnerability.
Aurangzeb noted that while the country continues its trajectory toward macroeconomic stabilisation and growth, Pakistan cannot realise its full potential without addressing the pressures created by population momentum and escalating climate risks.
He highlighted that the impacts of high population growth are reflected in persistent human development challenges, including child stunting, learning poverty, and a workforce insufficiently equipped for the future.
At the same time, climate change continues to expose communities to extreme temperatures, floods, droughts and environmental degradation, with the most severe effects falling on districts already struggling with poverty, weak infrastructure and limited access to essential services.
The minister also drew attention to the growing trend of rural-to-urban migration and the expansion of informal settlements, where inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene conditions contribute to poor nutrition outcomes and perpetuate child stunting.
He encouraged further research on urban vulnerabilities so that national planning can address the full spectrum of demographic and climate-linked challenges. He highlighted the need to recognise the interdependence between population dynamics and climate impacts
and called for the integration of vulnerability metrics into future frameworks for resource allocation. He stressed that incorporating these insights into national planning will be critical for ensuring equity, strengthening resilience, and directing support to the districts that need it most.