Pakistan continues to bear the brunt of the global climate crisis, with new government data revealing economic losses worth billions of dollars due to floods, extreme weather, and environmental degradation across the country.
A detailed report presented in the National Assembly outlined widespread destruction caused by record-breaking monsoon rains and climate-driven disasters.
More than 950 people have lost their lives and over 1,000 have been injured in recent months.
Flash floods have submerged over 4,500 villages, displacing millions, with nearly 96,000 people still sheltering in relief camps.
Over 2.2 million acres of farmland remain underwater, devastating rice-producing regions and crippling Pakistan’s food supply chain.
The floods have inflicted massive damage on infrastructure, agriculture, and the broader economy, pushing vulnerable communities deeper into crisis.
In the northern regions, the Hindukush, Karakoram, and Himalayan glaciers Pakistan’s vital water sources are melting at an unprecedented rate.
More than 13,000 glaciers are reportedly retreating, creating hundreds of new glacial lakes that threaten 7.1 million people with the risk of sudden outburst floods.
Meanwhile, in the southern parts of the country, seawater intrusion in the Indus Delta has ruined over 3.5 million acres of fertile land, displacing thousands of families and destroying mangrove forests that serve as natural coastal barriers.
The impact of extreme heat has also intensified, with temperatures in Jacobabad and Sibi crossing 50°C this summer, leading to several heat-related deaths and crop failures. Experts say the 2022 floods alone — which affected over 33 million people and caused more than 1,700 deaths — cost the economy an estimated $30 billion.
In major cities such as Lahore and Faisalabad, air quality has deteriorated to dangerous levels, with smog driving up respiratory illnesses and economic losses estimated at $6 billion annually.
Soil erosion and erratic rainfall patterns now threaten nearly 27% of Pakistan’s land area, further endangering food security.
Despite contributing less than 1% to global carbon emissions, Pakistan remains among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations.
While the government has launched several adaptation and resilience projects, experts warn that without significant global climate financing and sustainable policy implementation, the country’s ecological and economic future will remain at severe risk.
