Pakistan's Climate Crisis: The Relentless Curse of Floods

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

Rescuers and relatives searched knee-deep in water for the body of one-year-old Zara. She'd been swept away by flash floods; the bodies of her parents and three siblings had already been found days earlier.

Every year, monsoon season brings deadly floods in Pakistan. This year it began in late June, leading to the deaths of over 1,000 with millions displaced. Despite contributing only 1% to global emissions, the nation endures severe impacts from climate change.

From northern mountains to southern plains, the devastation reveals a commonality: the poorest communities suffer the most, resigned to repeated losses.

As the floods return year after year, the country’s vulnerability continues, compounded by illegal construction practices and ineffective enforcement of existing flood management laws.