By: Ahsan Ansari
Climate change is no longer a remote scientific forecast—it is a living reality. Global temperatures have risen by approximately 1.2 °C since the Industrial Revolution. This warming has accelerated glacier melt, elevated sea levels, and intensified natural disasters. Floods, heatwaves, droughts, and storms now pose serious threats to economies, human health, agriculture, and livelihoods—especially in developing nations like Pakistan.
One stark example occurred in 2022, when devastating floods submerged nearly a third of Pakistan. More than 33 million people were affected, millions rendered homeless, crops destroyed, and billions in economic losses ensued. Cities like Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar were paralyzed. The heatwave of 2019 brought temperatures up to 53.5 °C, claiming thousands of lives, many of whom were vulnerable laborers forced to work under extreme conditions.
Pakistan’s agriculture is particularly vulnerable. With water scarcity exacerbated by rising heat, erratic rainfall, and diminishing groundwater, crucial crops such as wheat and rice are threatened. Regions in Sindh and Southern Punjab are losing fertile land to desertification. At the same time, water shortages are compounded by transboundary disputes, as damming upstream restricts river flow.
Public health has declined under these pressures too. Flood-related diseases such as malaria, cholera, and diarrhea surged, while insufficient healthcare infrastructure made treatment inaccessible for many rural communities. Forced migration is rising as thousands of families flee devastated areas in search of shelter and subsistence.
Globally, fossil fuels remain the dominant source of emissions, responsible for roughly 75% of greenhouse gases. Each year about 18 million acres of forests are lost, destroying the earth’s carbon-sink systems. Corruption, inadequate urban planning, and deforestation also aggravate climate fragility in Pakistan.
A recent incident underscoring these risks occurred in July 2025, when Central Texas—especially Kerr County and areas along the Guadalupe River—was hit by catastrophic flash flooding. Some regions recorded rainfall exceeding 20 inches, causing the river to rise to dangerous levels within hours. A summer camp for girls, Camp Mystic, was swept away, resulting in the deaths of at least 28 children and dozens more missing. Over 104 people lost their lives, and total damages are estimated at USD 18–22 billion. The disaster exposed failures in flood warning systems that, despite being critical, were not properly activated in time.
This Tragedy is a stark reminder that climate change is not just a theoretical concern—it affects even the most developed nations. If America, with its infrastructure, is hit so severely, the vulnerability of countries like Pakistan is exponentially higher.
Experts warn that if global action does not accelerate, temperatures could rise by 3 °C by 2100—leading to sea-level inundation, collapsing crop yields, widespread famine, mass migration, and escalating health crises. Pakistan may face uninhabitable zones by 2033 unless decisive action is taken.
Solutions exist: transition to renewable energy—solar and wind—can reduce carbon emissions by as much as 60%. Reforestation campaigns, modern irrigation, water conservation projects, and effective urban planning are essential. Developed nations must also fulfill climate funding pledges—$100 billion annually—to support developing countries in adapting.
In Pakistan, the establishment of a Climate Change Authority is a positive step. But the institution must be empowered with adequate authority, funding, and strategic planning free from corruption. Citizens can also contribute—by using public transport, conserving energy, planting trees, and reducing consumption practices.
Climate change demands urgent collective action. It is no longer merely an environmental issue—it threatens human survival and the future of generations to come. As one environmentalist aptly stated: “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” Now is the time to act—together.
