How climate change is worsening Pakistan's deadly floods

Floods have swept across Pakistan, hitting urban and rural areas, including the capital of Punjab, Lahore

Each year, Pakistan braces for the monsoon season – and each year, the devastation seems to grow. What was once a seasonal challenge has now become a recurring national disaster, fuelled by the accelerating effects of climate change.

This summer alone, flash floods tore through northern villages and submerged vast areas of farmland in Punjab. More than a thousand people lost their lives, millions were displaced, and homes, crops and livelihoods were swept away. The country contributes just 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it bears some of the harshest consequences of a warming planet.

From melting glaciers to flash floods

High in the Himalayan, Karakoram and Hindu Kush ranges, over 7,000 glaciers are retreating faster than ever before. Rising temperatures are turning once-stable ice into unstable meltwater lakes that can suddenly burst, releasing torrents powerful enough to destroy entire communities below.

These glacial lake outbursts are notoriously difficult to predict or warn against. Many mountain villages have limited communication, and when early warnings fail, residents rely on each other. In some cases, local shepherds and farmers have risked their lives to alert neighbours as walls of water rush downhill. Their quick action has saved dozens, but entire valleys remain at risk every year.

When the rains fall too fast

Further south, in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, cloudbursts have caused flash floods and landslides with devastating speed. Villagers often have just minutes to react before their homes are engulfed. Heavy rain, made more intense by global warming, triggers mudslides that bury entire families under debris.

Roads are washed away, aid is delayed, and damaged infrastructure slows recovery. In one instance, even helicopters carrying relief crews were lost in the storms. Each tragedy exposes how fragile the country’s disaster response systems are in the face of extreme weather that’s growing stronger every year.

Building on the floodplain

Part of the problem lies in where people live. With a rapidly growing population and limited land, many Pakistanis have built homes along riverbanks and floodplains, often out of necessity rather than choice. Laws exist to prevent construction within 200 feet of major rivers, but weak enforcement and corruption mean unsafe building continues unchecked.

When monsoon waters rise, those in low-lying, informal settlements face the greatest danger. It’s a grim illustration of how inequality deepens the impact of climate change: the poorest are hit hardest, and recovery takes longest.

The breadbasket underwater

In Punjab, known as Pakistan’s breadbasket, record rainfall and overflowing rivers submerged thousands of villages this summer. Farmland, already under pressure from drought and heat, was turned into temporary lakes. For families who depend on agriculture, it means not just a season’s income lost, but a full year’s food supply destroyed.

The floods didn’t discriminate, luxury developments and modest homes alike were inundated. But for poorer families living in makeshift shelters, there were few options other than waiting in temporary camps with limited access to food, clean water, and healthcare.

A search for climate resilience

While the destruction dominates headlines, there are pockets of hope. Pakistani architect Yasmeen Lari has developed innovative “climate-resilient homes” using bamboo, lime, and other natural materials that can withstand floodwaters and be rebuilt easily by local residents. In several southern villages, women have already constructed elevated community shelters where families can take refuge during high water.

It’s a reminder that local knowledge and low-cost solutions often hold the key to surviving climate extremes, but scaling these projects across a country of 240 million remains a huge challenge.

A warning for the future

Climate experts warn that Pakistan’s monsoons are becoming more unpredictable and more destructive each year. With melting glaciers in the north, heavier rainfall in the plains, and fragile infrastructure throughout, the country faces an increasingly uncertain future.

For many families returning to their damaged homes, there is little choice but to rebuild in the same vulnerable areas. “We have nowhere else to go,” is a phrase heard all too often – one that sums up the human cost of climate change across the developing world.

Why it matters

The situation in Pakistan is a stark reminder that climate change is not a distant issue – it’s a global emergency that’s already reshaping lives, economies, and landscapes.

At Ronella, we believe that adaptation and resilience are as important as carbon reduction. Supporting climate-resilient infrastructure, early-warning systems, and sustainable energy solutions worldwide is essential if we are to prevent disasters like these from repeating year after year.

Adapted and summarised from original reporting by the BBC.All rights to the original reporting and photography remain with the BBC.