Minahil Fatima
Climate change is one of the most pressing global challenges of the 21st century, and its impacts are being felt across every continent. For developing countries like Pakistan, the consequences are particularly severe due to limited resources and infrastructure to cope with environmental shocks.
Pakistan is experiencing severe impacts from climate change, despite contributing less than 1 per cent to global greenhouse gas emissions.
A renowned environmental lawyer and activist Ahmad Rafay Alam, while talking exclusively to Azaad Digital said the country has entered a new phase of climate variability, one marked by extreme weather events, prolonged summers, erratic monsoons, and worsening air pollution.
Referring to the devastating 2022 floods, Rafay said the disaster was a direct result of climate change, driven by intensified and prolonged rainfall patterns caused by global warming.
The following year brought another blow: South Asia endured one of the most brutal heatwaves on record. Hundreds lost their lives across the region, with the Edhi Foundation reporting nearly 500 deaths in Pakistan alone during a single June heatwave, Rafay further explained.
In 2022, Pakistan was ranked as the most vulnerable to climate change by Germanwatch’s Climate Risk Index, primarily due to unprecedented floods and heatwaves . The 2022 floods were catastrophic, affecting over 33 million people and resulting in more than 1,700 deaths. These floods were exacerbated by record-breaking monsoon rains and glacial melt following intense heatwaves.
“We are shifting from four to five months of summer to eight or nine months. Winters are becoming increasingly unlivable due to air pollution”he said. “This is not normal,” Rafay added.
Recent Hailstorms in Pakistan: Is Climate Change the Only Problem?
Recently, April 16 brought an extreme and abnormal hailstorm that devastated both Islamabad and Rawalpindi by showing Pakistan’s worsening climate change-induced weather patterns.
0n April 20, Islamabad and Rawalpindi were again hit by another unexpected hailstorm, underscoring climate change of this region.
Golf ball sized hailstones accompanied the storm that caused widespread damage to cars together with infrastructure and power line systems.
In the E-11 sector, poor drainage and sewerage management led to water accumulation on roads, making it difficult for vehicles to pass and increasing the risk of accidents.
The intense rain and hailstorm in Islamabad caused damage to several vehicles, with reports of car windows shattering due to the force of the hail.
After Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s different districts, including Peshawar, also witnessed intense rainfall along with hailstorms in isolated areas on April 16.
While talking about the recent hailstorm in Islamabad Rafay Alam said, “It is weird, our cities are not ready”. “Municipalities, in Islamabad and other urban centers, are busy flipping agricultural land into housing schemes, driven by profit motives, with no regard for sustainable development or climate resilience.” he added.
For the past 20 to 25 years, the responsibility for urban flooding has been largely shaped by unregulated private property developers. “The regulation of private housing schemes should be done” Rafay stressed .
His strongest recommendation is to invest in proper urban drainage systems. “That is the key when it comes to mitigating monsoon flooding,” he said.
Glacial melt is a significant concern, particularly in the Hindu Kush, Karakoram, and Himalayan regions. Glaciers in these areas are retreating at rates of 40–60 meters per decade, leading to the formation of glacial lakes. These lakes pose risks of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), threatening communities in northern Pakistan .
Water scarcity is another pressing issue. The Indus River, vital for Pakistan’s agriculture and water supply, has seen a 5 per cent reduction in water flow over the past 50 years. This decline is attributed to changing precipitation patterns and reduced snowmelt, both linked to climate change.
Climate change poses multifaceted challenges to Pakistan, affecting its environment, economy, and public health. Addressing these issues requires urgent and coordinated efforts at both national and international levels.
Climate Change: Heatwave in Pakistan
Pakistan is also experiencing heatwave right now. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) the Pakistani heatwave will persist until April 27, 2025. The system of high atmospheric pressure originating in mid April led to escalating temperatures across major national regions especially within the southern and central areas.
The Met Office warns that heat and dry weather conditions will continue throughout the majority of the nation especially affecting Sindh region and southern Punjab together with Balochistan.
In this region temperatures during daytime hours will be 6 to 8 degrees Celsius above the normal levels. People must adopt preventive measures against heatwave conditions by drinking plenty of water while also seeking shade and performing minimal outdoor efforts particularly during prime daytime hours.
