Climate Disasters Are Here. Are We?

Rahim Ullah Tajik

Islamabad: In August 2025, the province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) was once again caught off guard by the fury of nature as catastrophic floods swept through Buner and surrounding districts. A significant number of villages vanished under water, families were torn apart, and lives were lost in numbers too painful to tally.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), KP recorded 425 deaths and 267 injuries between June and August, with over 14,000 people rescued from submerged areas.

These natural disasters are no longer rare occurrences; they have become seasonal tragedies. Yet, despite mounting evidence and repeated warnings, our collective response remains reactive, fragmented, and heartbreakingly slow.

The human cost of climate disasters in KP is not just measured in death tolls and damaged infrastructure; it is etched into the lives of survivors who must now live with trauma, displacement, and uncertainty.

Pakistan has long been ranked among the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. KP, with its mountainous terrain and fragile infrastructure, sits at the frontline of this vulnerability. The floods of 2022 were supposed to be a wake-up call for the nation; instead, they have become a footnote in a long list of ignored alerts.

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Relief and rehabilitation efforts continue to be bogged down by bureaucracy. While officials make symbolic visits to affected areas, the real needs of people for safe shelter, clean water, medical aid, and psychological support largely go unmet.

Compensation cheques and press releases cannot rebuild lives. What is needed is a major shift in how we prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate disasters.

The problem lies not only in nature’s wrath but also in our administrative responsibility and governance. Disaster management structures remain centralized, slow to respond, and often disconnected from ground realities. Early warning systems do exist, but without proper evacuation plans and community engagement, they serve little purpose.

Local government infrastructure, which should be the first line of defense, remains underfunded and undertrained. Meanwhile, public awareness of the alarming climate situation remains dangerously low.

People still continue to build homes along riverbanks—either unaware of the risks or because they lack viable alternatives. Climate change is not a distant threat; it is here, and it is devastating lives.

In district Buner alone, nearly 90% of Bishonai village was washed away in a single day, leaving hundreds dead and entire families buried under mud and rock.

To move forward, we need solutions that are practical, scalable, and rooted in the lived experiences of KP’s people. First, disaster response units must be equipped to provide immediate and appropriate relief.

Local governments must be empowered and supported with resources and autonomy to act swiftly during emergencies. Relief should not wait for hierarchical approvals; it should be delivered instantly at the village level.

Second, early warning systems must be upgraded with real-time data and mobile alerts, paired with community-based evacuation drills. Warnings should come with clear instructions and safe relocation options.

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Third, infrastructure must be rebuilt with climate resilience at the forefront. Roads, bridges, homes, and other vital systems should be designed to withstand future floods by adopting smart materials and elevated construction standards.

The 2025 floods, up to mid-August, damaged 451 kilometers of roads and 152 bridges in KP and Gilgit-Baltistan alone—clear evidence that our current infrastructure cannot withstand the climate disasters we now face.

Public education is equally critical. Grassroots awareness campaigns in local languages can teach communities about flood risks, safe construction practices, and emergency preparedness. These efforts must be consistent, not limited to disaster seasons. Moreover, climate experts, scientists, urban planners, and disaster operations specialists should be integrated into governance structures. Policy must be data-driven, not politically convenient.

On the global front, Pakistan should strengthen its climate diplomacy, which has been overshadowed by tense regional geopolitics. Despite being ranked the 5th most climate-vulnerable country by the Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan has struggled to secure meaningful support from global partners.

The promised loss and damage fund from COP-28 remains elusive, and our bargaining capacity at international forums remains weak.

Farmers, who often bear the brunt of climate disasters, need prioritized protection. Climate insurance schemes, especially index-based models, should be launched to safeguard small-scale farmers from crop and livestock losses.

In KP, over 1,000 livestock were lost in these floods, and hundreds of acres of crops destroyed. These losses are not merely economic; they threaten food security and rural stability.

Finally, residential construction in high-risk zones must be banned. Zoning laws must be enforced, and incentives offered for relocation and retrofitting. It is not enough to rebuild—we must rebuild smarter. Floods are no longer occasional anomalies; they are persistently regular. Pretending otherwise is not just naïve.

KP’s resilience should not be left to hope alone; it requires hard choices, smart planning, and a collective will to safeguard lives—which, in the end, matter most. The question on the table is not whether we can afford to act, but whether we can afford not to.

Rahim Ullah Tajik is an MPhil scholar in IR at the National Defence University, Islamabad, with research interests in contemporary global and regional security dynamics. He can be reached at rahimullah15303@gmail.com.

The article is the writer’s opinion, it may or may not adhere to the organization’s editorial policy.