Over the past two years floods in Pakistan have become more intense and unpredictable. So this growing danger is not just a natural issue but it also linked to climate change, also many of the experts believe that these floods are not only the natural disasters. In 2022, Pakistan faced one of the worst floods in its history. According to PDMA and Al Jazeera, more than 33 million people were affected. Over 1,700 people were died, and thousands of homes, roads and farms were destroyed. Officials said that one third of Pakistan was under water in 2022, but satellite analysis later showed it was closer to 10% at peak.
These floods were worse than even the famous 2010 floods, which affected around 20 million people. Noe people worry that these such big floods come again and again in the future not just once in many years. This is because weather patterns are changing. Pakistan did not produce as much pollution but it suffers a lot from the global warming.
Causes of Recent Floods
One of the main reasons for the recent years of floods was the climate change in Pakistan. According to Al Jazeera and Dawn news, Pakistan is experiencing hotter weather, stronger monsoon rains and more melting glaciers in the North side which makes flooding more common and more dangerous. Even though Pakistan produces less than 1% of the world greenhouse gases, but it is still one of the top10 countries which is most risk from the climate change.
In 2010, Pakistan also faced terrible floods, but experts say that the 2022 flood is even more dangerous. In both cases, heavy rains were caused damages. But on this time as a report of Al Jazeera, Pakistan usually has three or four cycles of monsoon rain bit in 2022, it got eight cycles, which is highly unusual.
Especially in Sindh and Balochistan, Sindh received about 780% more rainfall and Balochistan about 450% above normal levels, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department more rain than usual. So these extreme rainfalls flooded caused the severe damages in Pakistan. You can see the clear difference in figure which compares the normal rainfall with the 2022 happened rain.
just like 2010, the recent floods were caused by natural forces, but climate change has made everything worse. Scientists and weather experts say such floods may happen more often in the future if the world does not act on climate change.
Comparison with 2010 Super Floods
Pakistan faced very bad floods in 2010, which were called “super floods” at that time. But the 2022 floods were even more worse in many of the ways. In 2010, about one-fifth of the country was under water but in 2022, more than one-third of Pakistan was flooded. This shows the area affected has increased but satellite analysis later showed it was closer to 10% at peak. In 2010, around 20 million people were affected. In 2022, this number rose to about 33 million people, according to reports from Al Jazeera and PDMA. These floods damaged millions of homes, roads, and schools, and killed a large number of animals, which were many people’s only way to earn money. The death toll also shows how serious these floods were, that in 2010 had a high number of deaths, 2022 came very close, and many experts say it may have caused even more long term damage. The economic loss in 2022 was estimated at more than $10 billion, much higher than in 2010. This comparison shows that floods in Pakistan are becoming more dangerous, and climate change in Pakistan is making them happen more often and with greater force.
So this will easily show us to understand the damages and death rates in a simple way.
Frequency of Floods in Pakistan
Floods in Pakistan are not just a one time problem anymore but they are happening more often. Since the year 2000, the number of floods in the country has been increasing regularly. According to the reports from Al Jazeera and Dawn, earlier Pakistan used to face a big flood every few years, but now, serious floods are coming almost every year. This increase is not normal but it is closely linked to the climate change, which is making the weather patterns more unpredictable.
For example, in 2010, Pakistan had its worst flood at that time, but then again in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2020, and 2022, the country faced major floods that caused huge losses. Experts from PDMA and climate scientists say that this pattern clearly shows Pakistan’s flood cycle is becoming shorter, and the country is now seeing more frequent and more intense floods than before like shows in the figure.
Current Flood Situation in Pakistan
Since late June 2025, Pakistan has again faced serious flooding across multiple regions especially in Punjab, Swat Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). These floods were caused by heavy, prolonged monsoon rains, cloudbursts, and glacial lake bursts (GLOFs), all worsened by climate change.
In Punjab, cities like reports confirmed Chakwal received nearly 400 mm of rain in 10 hours (Dawn, July 2025), while similar claims for Rawalpindi could not be confirmed, which is overwhelming the drainage systems and triggering flash floods. According to media reports, dozens of deaths occurred in Punjab, but
NDMA recorded about 72 deaths nationwide by July 7–8, 2025. The rescue teams, backed by the army, used helicopters and boats to evacuate stranded residents. Authorities declared a rain emergency, closed schools and offices, and issued flood alerts in the affected zones.
According to the Gulf News in Swat Valley, fatal incidents were reported in Swat, including tourists swept away, but the exact number of deaths has not been confirmed, while many more went missing. A high flood alert was issued after river discharge surged beyond safe levels. Roughly 56 homes were damaged, and at least 120 people were trapped, but about 107 were rescued.
Another flood is happened in Gilgit Baltistan (GB), unusually high monsoon rains and rapid glacier melt led to glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), flash floods, and landslides. As of last week, Reports suggested around 70 deaths in Gilgit Baltistan, but the figures are still being verified by Dawn, and over 100 were injured in multiple incidents across mountainous terrain. Hundreds of tourists were stranded, roads were blocked, and key infrastructure was damaged. Official agencies and Army used helicopters and heavy machinery to evacuate and rescue victims. Gilgit Baltistan (GB)is now on high alert for further rain- related disasters.
So these recent events highlight that the 2025 monsoon season, although less extreme than in 2022, is still causing widespread damage, displacement, and loss of life. The situation shows that Pakistan remains highly vulnerable to climate linked flood risks, with repeated flash floods striking vulnerable communities across diverse terrains.
Governance, Planning Failures & Human Negligence: One of the big reasons why floods cause so much damage in Pakistan? is because of weak planning and bad management. Many houses, shops, and buildings are built on riverbeds or flood-prone areas where water naturally flows during heavy rains. These areas should be kept clear, but poor decisions and weak rules allow construction there. Also, cities and villages often have bad drainage systems, which means water cannot flow out properly, so it quickly turns into flooding.
There are also no strong laws to stop people from building in dangerous areas. On top of that, Pakistan does not have a proper early warning system in many areas, so people don’t get alerts in time to move to safer places. All these mistakes from the government and from public side make floods worse than they should be.
Linking with Climate Change
Pakistan is facing very serious floods and weather problems, but it is not a big cause of climate change. In fact, Pakistan creates less than 1% of the world’s greenhouse gases the pollution that causes climate change. Still, Pakistan is one of the top 10 countries most at risk, ranked 8th on the Global Climate Risk Index. This means that even though the country is not a big polluter, but it is suffering the worst effects like floods, heatwaves, and droughts. Rich countries, who have caused most of the pollution, should help countries like Pakistan by giving money for climate protection, early warning systems, and rebuilding after disasters.
| Country | Global Emissions Share (%) | Global Climate Risk Rank |
| China | 31% | 104 |
| United States | 14% | 48 |
| India | 7.6% | 20 |
| Pakistan | 0.9% | 8 |
| Germany | 1.7% | 18 |
| Uk | 0.9% | 90 |
Economic and Social Impact
According to the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA), the 2022 floods caused about $30.1 billion in damages and losses, with recovery needs of $16.3 billion. More than 33 million people had to leave their homes. Many people lost their houses, crops, animals, and jobs. This made life very hard, especially in poor areas. Thousands of schools and hospitals were damaged or destroyed. Farmers lost millions of acres of crops, and many animals drowned. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and news sources like Dawn, the damage to the economy is estimated in billions of dollars.
You can see in this figure which shows that how much damage was done in each category like housing, agriculture, roads, and schools. This proves that floods don’t only destroy property,but they also affect education, health, income, and daily life of millions of people.
Recommendations: To reduce future flood damage, Pakistan needs both short-term actions and long-term planning. In the short term, the government and aid agencies should set up emergency shelters for displaced people, provide clean water, control the spread of diseases, and make sure there is enough food for affected families. But short-term relief is not enough.
So in the long term, Pakistan must enforce river zoning laws so that people do not build houses or farms in dangerous flood zones. The country should also invest in climate resilient infrastructure, like stronger bridges, dams, and drainage systems. A proper national flood response strategy is needed to guide all provinces and agencies in working together during emergencies. Early warning systems must be upgraded so that people get alerts in time to move to safety.
We can learn from other countries, for example like Bangladesh has built strong community based early warning systems that save many lives during cyclones and floods. Another was The Netherlands has created advanced dikes and flood barriers to protect low lying areas from the sea.
So if Pakistan can adopt similar ideas but try to adjust them to local needs and resources. These steps can save thousands of lives and reduce economic loss in the future.
Conclusion
Floods in Pakistan are no longer rare events they are becoming a new normal. The 2010 and 2022 floods showed us that disasters happen not only because of climate change, but also due to human negligence and weak planning. Rising global temperatures bring heavier rains and faster glacier melting, but building on riverbeds, poor drainage, and lack of early warning systems make the damage much worse.
This means that Pakistan faces a double challenge: it suffers the effects of a changing climate even though it contributes less than 1% of global emissions, and at the same time, its own governance failures increase the risks. If strong action is not taken, millions more lives and billions of rupees will be lost in future floods.
The recent floods in Punjab, Swat, and Gilgit Baltistan (2025) show that Pakistan is still unprepared, even after learning painful lessons from 2010 and 2022. Villages are once again under water, families displaced, and bridges destroyed. This proves that the problem is not only natural disasters, but also policy gaps and negligence. If stronger systems were in place, the loss could have been much less.
So “Floods may be natural, but the disasters they cause are man-made and Pakistan must act now before the next storm arrives”.
Hafsa Fatima is an International Relations student at the University of Sindh Jamshoro and Intern YOP.