**Pakistan Grapples with Record Heatwaves and Devastating Floods as Climate Crisis Intensifies**
Pakistan is experiencing some of its most severe climate impacts in history, as record-breaking heatwaves and catastrophic floods underscore the urgent threat of global warming. This year’s extreme weather events have inflicted a heavy toll on lives, infrastructure, and the environment, prompting renewed calls for comprehensive climate action.
In recent months, temperatures soared above 48°C in many areas, particularly in southern Punjab and Sindh. The protracted heatwave forced schools to close and made outdoor activity hazardous, while hospitals were inundated with heatstroke patients. “The intensity and duration of this year’s heatwave are unlike anything we’ve seen before,” said Dr. Maria Khan, a Lahore-based climate scientist, emphasizing the link between these events and global climate change.
The heatwave was soon followed by unusually intense monsoon rains, resulting in widespread flooding across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Rivers overflowed, inundating hundreds of villages, washing away roads, and causing large-scale displacement. In the northern regions, sudden flash floods driven by rapidly melting glaciers killed over 200 people, left many injured, and stranded tourists. Infrastructure suffered substantial damage, including the high-profile collapse of the Chahan Dam near Rawalpindi, an event broadcast live as a reporter was swept away during coverage.
Pakistan, which hosts more than 7,000 glaciers—the largest concentration outside the polar regions—has seen an alarming acceleration in glacial melt. Scientists warn that these glaciers are receding at unprecedented rates, a trend exacerbated by rising global temperatures. This accelerated melting not only worsens flooding, especially during the monsoon season, but also threatens the country’s long-term water security, as millions rely on glacial-fed rivers for their daily needs.
Experts and environmental organizations have stressed a series of urgent measures, including strengthening early warning systems for extreme weather, enhancing forest protection and reforestation, reinforcing dam and drainage infrastructure, and increasing public education on climate risks and disaster preparedness.
While Pakistan has initiated measures such as the Living Indus Initiative to restore the Indus River system, experts caution that these efforts alone are insufficient in the face of escalating climate threats. The country remains among the top ten globally most affected by climate change, and this year’s events serve as a stark warning. Without decisive and immediate action, future disasters are likely to be even more severe.
