Pakistan’s Flooding Underscores Misplaced Priorities: A Devastating Climate Wake-Up Call

Pakistan’s Flooding underscores misplaced priorities more than ever in 2025. Once again, vast areas of the country lie submerged under devastating floodwaters, leaving millions of citizens homeless, thousands dead, and critical agricultural lands destroyed. Yet, instead of strengthening climate resilience and disaster management, the government has continued to prioritize defense spending, neglecting the very institutions that could prevent or mitigate such catastrophes.

Flooding Crisis in 2025: A Repetition of History

The current floods mark the second time in three years that Pakistan has faced destruction on this scale. Over 2 million people are homeless, and more than 1,000 lives have been lost. Nearly 40 percent of Pakistan’s population lives below the poverty line, making recovery almost impossible without urgent state intervention.

The memory of the 2022 floods—which killed 1,700 people, displaced 30 million, and caused $15 billion in damages—remains fresh. Yet, disaster preparedness remains minimal. With only 1 percent of the federal budget allocated to disaster management, Pakistan’s vulnerability has grown worse.

Climate Change and Melting Glaciers: A Deadly Mix

Pakistan is home to more than 13,000 glaciers, the largest number outside the polar regions. Melting glaciers, accelerated by rising global temperatures, are fueling floods in Gilgit-Baltistan and beyond. Excessive monsoon rains have intensified the situation, especially in northeastern and northwestern areas.

Environmental experts stress that these floods are not solely caused by climate change but exacerbated by human mismanagement. Construction on riverbanks, poorly planned barrages, and unchecked urban growth have worsened the destruction.

The Role of Mismanagement and Real Estate Encroachments

Real estate development has dangerously expanded into flood-prone areas. Housing societies near rivers such as the Ravi were swallowed by floodwaters this year. Despite repeated warnings, land misuse persists—often supported by powerful individuals and institutions.

Environmental lawyer Ahmad Rafay Alam emphasizes: “These floods were exacerbated by climate change; they weren’t caused by them. We need a rethink on how we approach rivers.”

India, Water Politics, and the Indus Waters Treaty

Pakistani officials frequently blame India for weaponizing water, particularly during times of heightened border tensions. However, experts insist that Pakistan’s Flooding underscores misplaced priorities, as internal mismanagement has caused far greater damage than cross-border water releases.

Under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan retains rights over the Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum rivers. While India manages smaller dams on the western rivers, experts say their releases did not significantly affect flood levels in Pakistan.

The fixation on external blame conveniently diverts attention from domestic corruption, weak disaster institutions, and misplaced funding priorities.

Corruption, Misappropriation, and the Timber Mafia

Corruption continues to cripple Pakistan’s climate resilience. Funds from global organizations, such as the $39 million GLOF-2 project, were misused for cars, offices, and perks rather than genuine flood protection.

Deforestation is another critical factor. Pakistan has lost forest cover from 33 percent in 1947 to just 5 percent today. Illegal logging, often protected by political or military elites, has left provinces like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa vulnerable to floods. Entire forests are deliberately burned by the timber mafia, worsening the crisis.

Urban Flooding: Karachi, Lahore, and Planning Failures

Pakistan’s two largest cities—Karachi and Lahore—face worsening urban flooding due to poor planning. Karachi’s outdated drainage system cannot cope with heavy rainfall, while Lahore’s reckless construction along waterways turned this summer’s monsoon into the worst flooding in four decades.

Architect Imrana Tiwana insists: “We cannot allow any commercial activity along rivers and canals. Architecture must now cater to resilience, adaptation, and responsiveness.”

Existing Climate Policies and Institutional Gaps

Pakistan has a National Climate Change Policy (2012, updated 2021), a National Adaptation Plan (2023), and even a Federal Flood Commission established in 1977. Each province also has its own environmental policies. Yet, the implementation gap is enormous.

Experts argue that institutions are deliberately underfunded because disaster prevention does not provide visible political gains. Instead, budgets favor infrastructure projects, sugar cartels, or real estate ventures that serve elite interests.

Security-First Budgets vs. Disaster Preparedness

Despite facing one of the highest climate risks in the world, Pakistan continues to prioritize defense. In July 2025, the government increased defense funding by 20 percent, even as floods were destroying livelihoods.

As Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed a historic defense pact with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, millions of citizens battled rising floodwaters. This stark contrast highlights how Pakistan’s Flooding underscores misplaced priorities in the country’s governance model.

Sustainable development experts argue that bad ecology is itself a national security risk. Yet, disaster management remains reactive, not proactive, leaving Pakistan dependent on foreign aid.

Conclusion: Reshaping Priorities for Survival

The devastation of Pakistan’s Flooding underscores misplaced priorities across governance, economics, and planning. Unless the country redirects resources from security and elite projects toward disaster preparedness, climate adaptation, and institutional strengthening, it will remain in a perpetual cycle of destruction and dependency.

To break this cycle, Pakistan must:

• Allocate greater funding for disaster management.
• Crack down on corruption and the timber mafia.
• Reform urban planning with climate resilience in mind.
• Implement existing climate policies with urgency.
• Treat ecology as integral to national security.

If these shifts do not occur, floods will continue to drown millions, destroy economies, and shatter hopes—while misplaced priorities keep Pakistan unprepared for its climate future.

External Links

• Climate Risk Index 2022 – Germanwatch
• Indus Waters Treaty Overview – World Bank

Internal Links

• Pakistan’s Climate Vulnerability Report 2025
• Urban Planning Failures in Karachi