Pakistan is facing a deepening climate crisis, driven by global warming and aggravated by years of neglect, mismanagement, and the lack of concrete policy implementation. The country is facing a perfect storm of environmental challenges, including soaring temperatures, erratic weather patterns, prolonged droughts, water scarcity, and an alarming increase in heatwaves, all with serious implications for agriculture, public health, and national stability.
Global warming has significantly altered Pakistan’s climate, resulting in an increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Rising temperatures, heavier rainfall, hailstorms, and accelerated glacier melting are becoming more common, particularly affecting the northern regions and river systems. These changes are no longer gradual; they are disruptive, erratic, and already impacting millions of lives.
The consequences are severe: failed crops, food insecurity, disease outbreaks, and mass displacement. Yet, despite these clear signals, the government continues to respond with vague statements and short-term deadlines. Efforts against deforestation and unregulated urbanization remain weak. Climate policy is often used more as a bargaining chip for international funding and IMF loans than as a genuine framework to protect the people and the environment of Pakistan.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) recently reissued a drought alert, following its earlier Drought Advisory-II issued on January 21, 2025. While some central and northern areas of the country have seen improvements due to recent rainfall, severe drought conditions persist in Sindh, southern Balochistan, and the lower eastern plains of Punjab.
From September 1, 2024, to March 21, 2025, Pakistan experienced a 40% nationwide rainfall deficit, with the situation most severe in:
• Sindh: –62%
• Balochistan: –52%
• Punjab: –38%
Water levels in the Tarbela and Mangla dams are critically low, and many rivers are flowing at minimal levels. March 2025 temperatures in the southern half of the country were 2–3°C above normal, with some areas facing over 200 consecutive dry days. If the current pattern continues, the drought is expected to intensify further in the affected areas.
Islamabad—symbolic of governance and national authority is itself struggling with a worsening water crisis. Reports indicate a 47% reduction in water availability. Dams such as Simly and Khanpur are at historically low levels, while four major tube wells are non-functional, potentially leading to a shortfall of 2 million gallons per day (MGD) during the peak summer season.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA), responsible for ensuring water supply to both urban and rural Islamabad, appears to be failing. Its poor maintenance of infrastructure, lack of monitoring of tube wells, and absence of contingency planning have left residents dependent on private water tankers, controlled increasingly by a powerful tanker mafia.
Heatwaves: A Silent Public Health Emergency
Pakistan’s growing vulnerability to heatwaves is a direct result of climate change, global warming, and rapid, unregulated urbanization. Expanding concrete jungles, disappearing green belts, and unchecked carbon emissions are intensifying the effects of these extreme events.
The health consequences are alarming: heatwaves can cause dehydration, heatstroke, respiratory distress, and even death, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and outdoor labourers. Emergency services and healthcare systems are often under-resourced and ill-prepared to respond during such crises.
Despite the severity of the threat, there is no functional heatwave emergency response plan in place. Apart from media advertisements, there is little actual intervention. The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (MNHSRC) must implement a robust public health emergency plan at the grassroots level. Heatwave response protocols should be activated nationwide, and dedicated heatstroke treatment wards established in both public and private hospitals on an urgent basis.
A few years ago, as a representative of the Sindh Irrigation Department, I visited Thailand to study their irrigation systems and the workings of the Royal Irrigation Department of Thailand. Despite the absence of a major river canal system, Thailand has developed a network of small and large dams to conserve rainfall. Their forested hills are well protected, and their water management strategies are sound.
As a result, Thai farmers can grow seasonal crops annually without major disruptions. This stands in stark contrast to Pakistan, where a lack of planning, sincerity, and public interest has turned development budgets into battlegrounds of conflict of interest, with little progress on dam construction or water conservation.
Water is essential for life. It supports human health, ecosystems, agriculture, and industry. It helps maintain body temperature, transport nutrients, eliminate waste, and assist in digestion. Moreover, water is critical for food production, ecosystem balance, and the smooth functioning of industrial processes.
While governments must ensure water access and climate resilience, every citizen also has a role to play. If we continue to think that only the government is responsible, we will collectively face harsher consequences in the future. Each one of us must contribute by conserving water, planting trees, protecting forests, raising awareness, and holding authorities accountable—not just for the sake of humanity, but for ourselves and future generations.
In conclusion, Pakistan’s climate crisis is not a distant threat; it is already here. The rising heat, shrinking water reserves, intensifying droughts, and ineffective governance are all warning signs. It is time to move from words to swift, sincere, and science-backed. The nation deserves more than policies on paper; it needs a sustainable future rooted in accountability and resilience.
Pakistan’s climate crisis, drought, heatwaves, inaction fuel disaster
