Heavy monsoon rains in KP and Upper Punjab have claimed 178 lives, and the country is submerged once again. Nearly half of deaths are children, while thousands have been displaced, and communities living on river banks, waterways in remote areas are shattered. A large part of both provinces is hit by devastation caused by collapsing homes and flash floods, rendering streets into rivers. Around 103 people have died in Punjab alone, mostly killed after the collapse of houses due to biblical downpours in many cities.
July 17, 2025, was the deadliest day, with over 60 deaths across Punjab amid biblical rainfall and flash floods.
17th July 2025 was the most devastating day when more than 60 people lost their lives in a single day across Punjab. News of fatalities from Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, and Sahiwal made headlines. Rain devastation in Rawalpindi remains unparalleled, though, where water invaded homes and submerged entire neighborhoods as the Nullah Lehi swelled to 24 feet in many areas like Gawalmand, forcing mass evacuations. The city administration had to announce a public holiday. Many families were rescued through boats from their rooftops. City administration urged the residents to stay indoors.
Army has been called in as well. Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters averted a certain catastrophe in Chakwal by air lifting dozens to safe places. 400-millimeter rain was recorded in just 10 hours, caused by a cloudburst in the district. The outcome was an apocalyptic deluge destroying multiple mini-dams built to protect villages like Bikhari Kalan and Panwal, which were washed away completely.
Even a Rescue 1122 building was swallowed by a flash flood, which also threatened the ancient historic spot of Katas Raj Temple that stood besieged now by muddy water, endangering its historic value. Locals in Budhial describe the current flooding as unprecedented, where five-foot water torrents jolted homes, even sweeping away a bridge vital for the local community.
According to the weather department estimates, rainfalls surged 124% above normal, showing clear signs of deteriorating climate change and state collapse in achieving any sort of climate resilience by adapting to these climate changes. For many years, Pakistan has been included in the list of countries that are going to be affected by these climate changes, and yet the scale of devastation is unbelievable.
In KP, the story remains the same, where so far 38 souls have vanished, including nine members of a single-family picnicking along the Swat River. Military helicopters were called in Shangla and Buner districts to rescue stranded residents from islands of debris as roads remain underwater or were completely washed away in multiple areas. The province, still recovering from $1.5 billion in losses from the 2022 historic floods, now faces fresh climate change-induced socio-economic challenges.
Beneath this unfolding human tragedy lies institutional failure at multiple places. The collapse of homes, for example, was the outcome of a lethal amalgamation of non-existent urban planning, building quality control mechanisms, and unchecked illegal riverbed constructions. Deaths caused by home collapse alone are responsible for 57% of overall fatalities nationwide. Over half of Pakistan’s urban population lives in unplanned “katchi abadis” (slums), where the home collapse phenomenon caused tragedies as their flimsy structures collapsed like cardboard under rain’s weight.
Over 57% of flood deaths stem from collapsing homes in unplanned, vulnerable settlements like katchi abadis.
The crisis was further exacerbated by Pakistan’s failure in developing water storage as a flood control mechanism. Current water storage capacity of the country is catastrophically inadequate with just 30 days’ reserve compared to 900 days in the United States.
This shortage of storage always forces authorities to release floodwaters into populated areas rather than capture it for drought or hot summer seasons when demand for water increases for agriculture. This year’s downpour, 82% heavier than 2024, didn’t merely test infrastructure; it exposed a corpse of neglect left to rot since the 2022 super floods.
Among other administrative issues, the early warning systems outcome also unmasked dangerous gaps, resulting in people in most of the areas remaining unaware of upcoming devastation. Still, the presence of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) early warning systems backed by satellite forecasts enabled them to issue riverine flood alerts for Jhelum and Rawalpindi, preventing a possible higher casualty figure.
Similarly, the WFP’s $9.8 million project in Buner and Shangla that installed river monitors enabled timely evacuations from some areas, saving lives. Yet these successes were undone at the last mile, usually in remote areas. Radar blind spots left remote Indus communities without forecasts. The disconnect between meteorological data and ground action remains a deadly chasm.
Pakistan’s water storage capacity is critically low, only a 30-day reserve compared to the US’s 900 days, exacerbating flood risks.
There is no doubt that climate change is the harbinger of this present disaster. In Gilgit-Baltistan, temperatures hit 48.5°C during June, which is unthinkable for a mountainous region located 1200 meters above sea level. This rise in temperature in Northern Areas is accelerating not only glacial melting but also threatens 33 high-risk glacial lakes with catastrophic outburst floods. Strangely, Pakistan is responsible for just 0.5% of global emissions, yet it endures the impacts of climate change like no other country; climate change fatality probability in Pakistan is 15 times higher than the global average.
Survival demands radical transformation in Pakistan’s climate adaptability; an area where the state has been found criminally ill-prepared, time and again. Nature-based solutions like reforesting watersheds and restoring Indus delta mangroves must buffer engineered structures like the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, where every dollar invested in preparedness saves ten in post-flood recovery and rebuilding efforts.
Strict legal reforms and implementation could end riverbed construction, relocating high-risk communities through programs like Sindh’s rebuilt 150,000 homes. Similar schemes must be launched in lower Punjab regions like Rajanpur and Swat KP. AI-integration into existing early warnings is necessary so that data about integrating glacier melt, soil saturation, and rainfall can be analyzed in real-time to train “flood watchers” in vulnerable districts.
AI-enhanced early warning and nature-based solutions are vital to bridging gaps and improving disaster preparedness in vulnerable areas.
Once the waters recede, the lesson crystallizes. Pakistan’s floods are no longer “natural” disasters. They are collisions of fossil-fueled climate chaos and decades of human neglect, leading to reactive measures instead of proactive thinking to embrace climate change adaptability and preparedness. More importantly, Pakistan’s climate diplomacy must make global polluters realize that they owe Pakistan not just aid but reparations for stolen futures. Until then, the monsoons will keep coming, and we will keep counting death tolls.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.
