Floods, failures, and the future: Rethinking disaster management in Pakistan

Dr. Lubna Zaheer

In recent months, Pakistan has been grappling with a series of devastating natural disasters, including torrential rains, flash floods, landslides, and cloudbursts, particularly affecting regions like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Gilgit-Baltistan. As climate-induced emergencies continue to unfold, they expose the fragility of Pakistan’s disaster preparedness and infrastructure. Despite the ongoing relief efforts by government institutions, the scale of destruction and loss of life highlights deeper systemic issues—chief among them being the lack of long-term planning, inadequate water management, and insufficient investment in preventive measures. This situation not only underscores the vulnerability of developing nations in the face of climate change but also calls for urgent and sustained action to strengthen disaster resilience and environmental governance.

May Allah have mercy on us. For the past month and a half, various provinces and regions of Pakistan have been struck by natural disasters. In some places, cloudbursts are occurring; in others, landslides. Some areas are experiencing torrential rains, while others are facing destruction due to floods, resulting in the loss of lives. Property is being destroyed, livestock is perishing. Hundreds, even thousands of villages have been hit by floods, cutting off our access to them. It is being said that this is the most devastating natural disaster we’ve faced in the form of monsoon rains since 2022.

According to the data from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), from June till now, approximately 819 people have lost their lives, over 1,100 have been injured, 8,658 homes have been either completely or partially damaged, and 6,138 livestock have been affected by this calamity. Sadly, with each passing day, these numbers continue to rise. The province most severely impacted is Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the highest number of casualties (479) have been reported, followed by Punjab (182).

Initially, it was heartbreaking to see scenes of devastation in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on television screens. Now, flood scenes are emerging from the Punjab province. The consistent monsoon rains had already created flood-like conditions in all three rivers of Punjab. The situation worsened further when our neighboring country, India, released water into the rivers. The residents of the areas where water has surged are facing extreme difficulties. To handle the emergency situation and assist in relief operations, the Punjab government has called in the army in six districts. Reports indicate that due to the threat of severe flooding, around one million people and 73,000 livestock have been moved to safer locations. To make matters worse, the Meteorological Department has predicted further rainfall. Heavy rains are expected in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. This means the hardships of the people living in these areas are likely to increase in the coming days. At this point, all we can do is pray for Allah's mercy.

The situation we are currently facing is undoubtedly a natural disaster. Human beings are indeed helpless in the face of nature. Even developed countries find themselves vulnerable when hit by natural calamities. Recently, some cities in the United States were also submerged due to heavy rains. There is no harm in admitting that our governments and related institutions are trying their best to deal with the situation and save lives. However, setting these facts aside, it is also true that we lack a tradition of preparing in advance for such disasters. Our governments and institutions may do some level of planning, but they lack long-term and consistent strategies. For example, India releasing water into our rivers is not a new phenomenon. India has maintained this stance for years. Have we ever devised a proper strategy to deal with such situations? Certainly not.

It is indeed tragic that on one hand, we hear constant complaints of water shortage, and on the other hand, we face such an onslaught of water that it sweeps away everything in its path. Even after several decades, we have failed to focus on the construction of dams and water reservoirs. There is no doubt that natural disasters strike suddenly and overwhelm human capability. But today, with the help of technology, such disasters can be predicted in advance. Many experts believe that the damage caused by natural disasters is often a result of human negligence. Their viewpoint is that better management and timely planning can reduce the destruction caused by such events. In other words, if we fail to do so, the blame lies not on nature but on ourselves.

-- The writer is a professor and analyst specializing in media and communication studies. She can be reached at lubna.zaheer91@gmail.com

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