The last few days proved to be among the most tragic for Pakistan, especially in the north. Climate change has yet again hit Pakistan with floods and climate-induced devastation. Flash floods occurred in 2010, 2022, and now again in 2025. These flash floods are a result of unusual rains, cloud bursts, and landslides,  sweeping through villages and causing widespread destruction.  Around 145mm of rain has been recorded in various cities. Consequently, more than 730 casualties have so far been caused, and around 930 people have been injured since June 2025. 

This situation has a direct impact not only on the livelihood of people, but also on the non-traditional security of Pakistan, having resource scarcity and poverty already on the line. For this, urgent measures need to be taken to overcome this devastation in particular and to decrease the impact of climate change on the country in general.

Economic Crisis

Floods in a country tend to damage everything that comes on their way. It destroys livestock, crops, trees, and other infrastructure. It takes away essential resources with it, alongside humans’ livelihood. Floods in 2025 also ravaged agriculture, crops, and livestock, primarily affecting the provinces of Punjab and Sindh. This will lead to an acute food shortage. Along with that, it intensifies other socioeconomic issues of the country, explained later.

To begin with, having the economic crisis at its peak, the country in such times needs resources to manage disasters and a financial backup, which Pakistan clearly lacks at the time. The 2022 floods in itself brought a loss of $40 billion with it. This time around, the intensity of the floods and the areas it spread to seem to be slightly less than that of 2022. An early report of the UNDP suggests an initial loss of $30 billion as of now, and more is to be measured.

Secondly, with a population of 251.3 million people, Pakistan’s poverty rate stands at 42.4% as of FY 2024-2025. In such a situation, when the country is hit by floods, another 9 million people face the threat of falling below the poverty line, fueling social unrest and vulnerability. During the 2022 floods, an estimated 8 million people were displaced. This time, around 24,000 people are reported to have been rescued by the Pakistan Red Crescent, and whose homes are yet to be restored.

In times of weak socioeconomic conditions, Pakistan’s security faces non-traditional security threats. Firstly, the country faces increased resource scarcity due to all the damage caused to the crops, harvest, livestock and agriculture, resulting in food insecurity, inflation, social unrest, and finally increased crimes and instability.

Water Insecurity

Regionally, Pakistan is face-to-face with water insecurity, that too at a time when strained ties with India have led to abeyance of the Indus Water Treaty and Pakistan’s dependence on those waters continues. To the northwest, Afghanistan also keeps pressing for its increasing dependence on the Indus waters due to its landlocked geographic location. This keeps ties with Afghanistan strained.

All of the consequences are interconnected with each other. What is important is how to overcome these crises and how to prevent them in the future. For that, in the short term, Early Warning Systems in Pakistan need to be installed. AI tools can also be referred to for this. This will help in early warning of incoming climate-induced disasters. Secondly, the National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) of the NDMA needs to be strengthened for a predictive analysis of crises and handling disasters with other NGOs and humanitarian groups.

In the longer run, Pakistan needs to develop useful infrastructure like the Flood Management of Kachhi Plains in Balochistan, a project of 2025, which is still in the pipeline. Additionally, elevated roads and nullahs, and broad sewerage pipes and pathways need to be made on an emergency basis. Also, roads made of water-absorbent gravel need to be constructed that absorb and filter rainwater and collect it below in the larger sewerage pipes. This water can be stored for commercial purposes as well. Moreover, forestation is the most important need of Pakistan today. 

Pakistan needs to restore mangroves in coastal areas and ensure afforestation in the north. Last but not least, Pakistan needs to strengthen the NDMA and increase its restoration mechanisms. To ensure that its accountability, funding, and transparency are prioritized.

(The author is Assistant Research Fellow at Balochistan Think Tank Network (BTTN) at BUITEMS, Quetta, Pakistan. She is an MS International Relations Scholar and a distinguished graduate of International Relations from the University of Balochistan. Views expressed are personal. She can be reached at kakarhsa01@gmail.com )