In September 2022, Pakistan was in global headlines, but not for a good reason. A large portion of the country, nearly one-third, was submerged following unusual monsoon floods. More than 1700 people lost their lives, and millions were displaced. Crops were destroyed, acres of agricultural land were ruined, and the economy was battered. The incident was labelled a “climate catastrophe” by the UN.
Here we are, three years later, not under water but burning in the clutches of blistering heatwaves. Sindh province and southern Punjab are facing temperatures beyond 50°C, setting off a health emergency, forcing schools to close, and intensifying water scarcity. Climate science explains both events, but what ties them is our inaction. Or, more truthfully, the unwillingness to act.
Despite the consecutive repeated climate crises, whether the floods in 2010 and 2022 or heatwaves in 2015, 2022, and now in 2025, Pakistan continues to turn a blind eye as if it is a once-in-a-decade event. Moreover, a recent disastrous hailstorm that occurred in Islamabad cannot be ignored, which caused economic losses, damaged vehicles, solar energy infrastructure, and disrupted day-to-day activities. What actions were taken afterward? Absolutely nothing- no preparedness, no compensation, no sense of urgency. Climate change is not just an environmental issue- it is a growing threat to our national security.
The prevailing scientific agreement is clear: Pakistan is ranked among the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. In less than 15 years, we have faced cyclic disasters that are escalating. From rapid deluges in Baluchistan to glacier lake outbursts in Gilgit-Baltistan and extreme heatwaves in Sindh, the warnings could not be clearer. Yet after every crisis, we slip back into comfortable denial.
An equally concerning yet frequently ignored issue is the effects these extreme climate events have on the national security of Pakistan. A repeated pattern of climate disasters strains the military’s disaster management capacity and causes a diversion of resources from security operations. In security-risk regions like Baluchistan and South Punjab, environmental stress is deepening the existing socio-political tensions.
Over the past years, Pakistan has undergone changes in leadership, economic instability, and growing societal tensions. Adaptation to climate change has taken a back seat to immediate survival. From budgets remaining small for climate resilience to underfunded environmental ministries and fragmented policies between central and regional jurisdictions, climate action is being hamstrung at every level. Climate change receives bare attention in electoral debates or campaign talks. Every time a climate disaster strikes, there is a political storm dominating headlines. The silence is striking. It is not the lack of awareness but the lack of political urgency that, besides knowing the stakes, we fail to act. This crisis is not just limited to nature- it affects people.
Heat waves excessively affect the lower class of society. Crop losses and water shortages are faced by farmers. Education gets affected because children miss school due to harsh temperatures. The slums in most urban areas become unlivable during intense weather, especially for children, the elderly, and women. If we move to the north, the melting of glaciers threatens local communities and water availability. Unmanaged climate migrations from flood or drought-affected areas put strain on urban areas, affecting the environment’s carrying capacity and heightening domestic unrest.
If we continue to have an attitude of denial and treat the climate change crisis as a routine disruption rather than a full-scale urgent national concern, the consequences will be far more devastating than anything we have experienced so far. The time for awareness has passed. Now is the time to take responsibility, to act, and to lead- before another crisis not just challenges our limits to respond, but threatens our foundations of national security.
These unpredictable weather patterns are causing water availability issues, disrupting crop cycles and increasing flood risks, especially in the areas near the border, which can escalate regional tensions. Water scarcity, mainly in arid and border areas, has strategic geopolitical consequences, raising disputes over transboundary water resources and causing inter-provincial tensions. If climate response efforts continue to trail, this vulnerability will grow more severe. We could end up risking trapping entire communities in a relentless cycle of insecurity, despair, and poverty.
It is not tomorrow’s problem; we are witnessing the crisis today. The solutions are still in reach but the actions must be immediate Some urgent initiatives must be taken such as the declaration of climate emergency nationwide which would help to raise the issue across ministries and allow its integration into budgeting and policy-making; secondly the National Security Policy (2022) of Pakistan identifies climate change as a critical non-traditional security threat. Integrating climate resilience into defense strategies, emergency planning, and infrastructure security is no longer an option- it’s a necessity.
There is also an urgent need to invest in building resilience at the local level, which can be done by building heat shelters, strengthening flood defence systems, and developing early warning systems in risk-prone areas. Also, proper education about climate must be incorporated in curricula at the school level, and awareness must also be provided to locals by raising the issue in mainstream media. Moreover, there is a need to work on building a sustainable economy which starts by creating employment opportunities in reforestation, green farming and agro-forestry, and renewable energy. Lastly, the public, which holds great power, especially the youth, must raise their voice to demand climate risk management actions, not just empty words and sympathies from leadership after disasters.
Pakistan is at a critical point, and we do not have the luxury of playing victim to random climate disasters. The time to take responsibility for our denial is now. The consequences of our ignorance are already visible in lost lives, drained resources, destroyed livelihoods, and stressed security. The floods, hailstorms, and heatwaves are not just extreme climate events; they are warning signs of nature. The threat here is not just environmental or humanitarian, but it has now become a matter of national security risk. As the climate disasters extend their claws, the ability of the state to protect and provide for its people and to maintain its integrity will be weakened.
If we continue to have an attitude of denial and treat the climate change crisis as a routine disruption rather than a full-scale urgent national concern, the consequences will be far more devastating than anything we have experienced so far. The time for awareness has passed. Now is the time to take responsibility, to act, and to lead- before another crisis not just challenges our limits to respond, but threatens our foundations of national security.
