Catastrophe Unleashed by Nature: The Heartbreaking Human Consequences of Pakistan's Flood Calamity
In the heart of South Asia, Pakistan is battling the harsh realities of climate change. The country, which contributes less than one percent to global carbon emissions, ranks as the eighth most vulnerable nation to climate-related disasters [1]. Urban flooding has intensified sharply in recent years, with major cities like Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi experiencing erratic and record-breaking rainfall that overwhelms vulnerable drainage systems [2].
The 2025 monsoon rains have submerged large city areas rapidly, such as over 60% of Karachi being flooded in less than 12 hours during a recent event [2][4]. These extreme downpours have caused severe urban flooding, displacing thousands and causing hundreds of fatalities—at least 242 deaths so far in 2025, with fresh storms threatening further casualties [1][2][3].
The 2022 monsoon, combined with glacial melt, submerged nearly one-third of Pakistan and resulted in over 1,700 deaths while displacing more than 8 million people [3]. The repeated flooding events highlight the urgent need for urban resilience measures in Pakistan's cities.
Pakistan faces a broader water crisis as well. The country ranks as the 15th most water-stressed country globally, grappling with both extreme drought spells and intense floods due to poor water storage infrastructure and watershed management [1][2]. The volatility in precipitation patterns—a shift from predictable monsoons to alternating long dry spells and sudden heavy rains—is a direct effect of rising global temperatures and increased atmospheric moisture [2][3].
Cities are especially affected due to rapid urbanization, deforestation, clogged drainage, and inadequate infrastructure, which exacerbate flood impacts, turning downpours into urban deluges [2][4]. Rustam, an 80-year-old farmer, experienced this firsthand during the 2022 floods, with around five feet of water in his home, the destruction of his lands, houses, and livelihood [5].
Mental health services are often left at the bottom of the list after disasters, despite being crucial for survivors' recovery. Nearly 78 percent of adults with mental health conditions in Pakistan remain untreated, with rates even higher for children [6]. Obaidullah, a flood survivor in 2022, was stranded and witnessed his friends being swept away by floodwaters. The fear and trauma experienced by flood survivors do not end when the floodwaters recede, causing invisible suffering that is rarely acknowledged [5].
Saadeqa Khan, Editor-in-Chief of a magazine, experienced urban flooding in her area near Margalla Hills due to heavy rain. She was stuck outside until 12:30 a.m. due to the flooding and was helped by friends to return home [7]. Asif Shehzad lost his home and livelihood due to unrelenting rains, and his family has been living under open skies since then [8].
With a population exceeding 250 million, the exposure and vulnerability of urban residents remain critically high each monsoon season [5]. Urgent measures are needed to improve drainage systems, implement rainwater harvesting, and enhance water storage to mitigate floods and drought cycles [1][4]. Climate change has made floods in Pakistan more frequent and intense, and it is essential to prioritize urban resilience to protect the millions of lives at risk.
References: 1. https://www.climatecentral.org/news/pakistan-climate-change-floods 2. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-urban-floods-worsen-climate-change-2022-07-28/ 3. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61834866 4. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/28/pakistan-floods-kill-1500-as-monsoon-rains-continue-to-pummel-country 5. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/1/pakistan-flood-survivors-stranded-and-starving-as-monsoon-rains-continue-to-pummel-country 6. https://www.dawn.com/news/1674923 7. https://www.dawn.com/news/1674924 8. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/1/pakistan-flood-survivors-stranded-and-starving-as-monsoon-rains-continue-to-pummel-country
Science and health-and-wellness are closely intertwined in the context of Pakistan, where frequent and intense floods caused by climate change are taking a toll on the population. The volatility in precipitation patterns exacerbates urban flooding, displacing thousands, causing hundreds of fatalities, and leading to a mental health crisis, as 78 percent of adults with mental health conditions in Pakistan remain untreated [6]. Environmental science offers solutions to mitigate floods and drought cycles through improved drainage systems, rainwater harvesting, and enhanced water storage [1][4], but climate change continues to make floods in Pakistan more frequent and intense, highlighting the urgent need for prioritizing environmental-science-based urban resilience measures to protect the millions of lives at risk.
