The climate crisis is the growing danger caused by human driven changes to the Earth’s climate. It includes the serious and rapid changes happening because of human activities such as burning coal, oil and gas, cutting down forests and producing large amounts of greenhouse gases. In countries such as Pakistan, the effects are particularly severe including extreme heat, floods, droughts and pressure on water and agriculture.
Pakistan is one of the countries, most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Although its contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is less than 1% (approximately 0.47% to 0.9%) but the country faces increasingly severe floods, heat waves, droughts, water shortages and changing weather patterns. The climate crisis is no longer a distant environmental problem but now it is affecting Pakistan’s economy, agriculture, health and everyday life.
The recent findings on the impact of Climate change on health in Pakistan are very alarming. A United Nation’s report claims that 44% of children suffer from stunted growth primarily because of malnutrition. This is a serious consequence of Pakistan’s food insecurity and poverty which is linked to climate change. Unseasonal rains and smog are contributing to viral, waterborne and vector-borne illnesses like Zika virus, Dengue, Typhoid, and Malaria.
Air pollution, particularly in Lahore, Faisalabad, Karachi and other urban areas increases respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, reduces visibility and disrupts education and economic activity as some time government closes schools and offices. Thus the government of Punjab has passed “THE PUNJAB ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (SMOG PREVENTION AND CONTROL) RULES 2023” despite this year in November 2026, Lahore Air Quality Index (AQI) has crossed 400 to over 535 in peak hours while in specific spots like paragon and Allama Iqbal Town recorded reading between 615 and 728. Others big cities like Multan recorded hazardous AQI level around 566, Faisalabad around 366, Gujranwala peaked above 606 and Rahim Yar Khan recorded around 483. The World Bank estimated that air pollution caused approximately 22,000 premature deaths among children under five in Pakistan in 2019. The health and productivity burden of air pollution is substantial affecting workers, students and vulnerable populations.
Pakistan is also highly vulnerable to floods. Heavy monsoon rainfall, rapid glacier melt, poor drainage system and extreme weather events are combining to produce devastating flooding.
The super floods in 2010 and catastrophic floods of 2022 demonstrated the enormous scale of this danger. The 2022 floods caused widespread devastation across Pakistan, destroying homes, roads, bridges, schools and health facilities. According to Post Disaster Need Assessment 2022, by the Government of Pakistan, about 33 million people affected and more than 1700 died. Combined damage and economic losses (schools, bridges, health facilities and crops) was approximately USD 30 billion and around 2.2 million houses damaged or destroyed.
Due to climate change, one of the most visible effects in Pakistan is the rise in temperatures. Extreme heat increases heatstroke, dehydration, energy demand and pressure on hospitals. It also reduces labor productivity, especially for outdoor workers and farmers. In May 2024, temperatures in Mohenjo-daro reached around 52.2°C, among the highest readings reported during that heat wave. Heat-waves threaten public health, livestock and crop yields, particularly in Sindh and southern Punjab. Hotter temperatures is also increasing pressure on electricity supplies as demand for air conditioning and cooling rises. At the same time high temperatures is reduce agricultural productivity and place additional stress on livestock.
Pakistan’s northern glaciers are particularly important because they contribute to river flows. Rising temperatures is accelerating glaciers’ melting, increasing flood risks in the short term while potentially threatening water availability in the longer term. Pakistan has no enough sources (Dams and barrages) to save water, so it faces a complicated water challenge, too much water during extreme floods and too little during periods of drought and scarcity. Only 47% of Pakistanis have access to safe drinking water, experts warned at a seminar hosted by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) in Islamabad, highlighted the country’s deepening water quality crisis and its grave implications for public health, productivity and sustainable development. Experts revealed that Pakistan’s per capita freshwater availability has dropped from 5,260 cubic meters in 1951 to below 1,000 cubic meters in 2024, placing it among water scarce nations. Experts also underscored that unsafe water contributes to nearly 40% of diseases nationwide and urged urgent, coordinated and climate resilient reforms to safeguard Pakistan’s water future.
The climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges facing Pakistan. From devastating floods and extreme heat to water scarcity and threats to agriculture, climate change is already affecting millions of people. Pakistan needs adaptation to protect communities from unavoidable climate impacts and action to reduce emissions and build a cleaner and more sustainable future. Government institutions, businesses, communities and individuals all have a role to play.
The climate crisis may be global but its consequences are deeply local. For Pakistan, responding to climate change is not simply about protecting the environment; it is about protecting lives, livelihoods, food, water and the future of the country.
Author: Sabir Masih, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Cover photo: Smog in Faisalabad 12 November 2026, Air Quality Index reached to 381. Photo by Sabir Masih