Pakistan’s vulnerability to Climate Stress: Isn’t it A Time to Wake Up to Climate Realities

The early summer vacations announced by provincial governments across Pakistan – for both public and private schools – along with the still-unresolved cold weather allowance issue for government employees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, point to a deeper and more unsettling reality: Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate stress – its accelerating impact on everyday life. These developments are not isolated administrative decisions; they are warning signs of a climate system under strain, forcing institutions and governments to respond to conditions that are becoming increasingly extreme and unpredictable.

The decisions made are no longer shaped by tradition, routine, or long-standing seasonal patterns. Instead, they are being driven by soaring temperatures, prolonged heatwaves, and erratic weather shifts that are redefining Pakistan’s seasons, livelihoods, and institutional planning. What once followed a predictable academic and climatic rhythm is now being repeatedly disrupted by environmental stress, compelling authorities to improvise in the face of intensifying heat and mounting public health concerns.

The announcements came as a much-needed respite for students and teachers enduring an unforgiving heat spell, they underscore Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate stress. Classrooms, calendars, and working conditions are being forced to adapt to rising temperatures and climate extremes. What appears on the surface as administrative relief is, in fact, a stark reminder of how climate change is steadily intruding into the education system – challenging its stability, safety, and long-term sustainability.

Pakistan’s vulnerability to Climate Stress: Remembering the Cold Weather Allowance

The seasonal scheduling of school holidays exposes a much deeper issue, the one that intertwines with the shifting climate, obsolete government policies, or perhaps a lack of administrative foresight. The heatwaves force early summer breaks. Climate change is keeping Pakistan students out of school, plunging them in darkness. The holidays schedule not only bring the accelerating impact of climate change in Pakistan to the mind, but the once-logical and now-outdated Cold Weather Allowance that is granted to government employees in parts of KP, especially in northern Malakand Division.

Originally introduced to provide financial relief to the employees working in severely cold and mountainous areas like Swat, Chitral, and Dir. The allowance was a practical measure for a different time. Back then, the harsh winters made it difficult to commute, work, and survive in these colder regions. The allowance helped ease the burden of heating costs and travel expenses to the employees. However, fast-forward to today, the context has changed dramatically by Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate stress.

The Disappearing Winters By Climate Change in Pakistan’s North

Regions like Swat, Chitral, Hazara, and other parts of upper K-P that were once known for their biting winters and snow-covered landscapes are now experiencing scorching summers. The impact of climate change in Pakistan, largely driven by the rampant deforestation in the areas, pollution, and poor environmental regulation, has rewritten the seasonal script.

Gone are the days when Swat, Chitral, and Dir were escape zones for people fleeing the summer heat of the plains. Today, these “hill stations” also bake under the sun, with temperatures rising year after year. Whereas, the allowances for cold weather persist, but policies fail to address the very real and immediate impacts of the shifting climate in the backdrop of global warming.

A Policy Mismatch: Outdated Benefits in a Warming World

The continued issuance of cold weather allowances in the regions that are now significantly warmer is a glaring example of policy lag. It highlights a government that is yet to catch up with the climate realities that its citizens face daily. If these allowances were meant to address extreme weather, why is there no corresponding policy to protect the employees and students from the worsening summer heat effects.

The Need for Climate-Informed School Schedules

With soaring temperatures in the northern districts of K-P, maintaining traditional school hours is both impractical and dangerous. Schools in the regions like Swat and Dir are still considered “cooler” zones on paper, but the areas now experience heat that can severely affect children’s health and learning ability. If the K-P government insists on maintaining later holiday dates for these areas, it must at least mandate earlier school timings, or preferably with classes ending by 11:30 AM during the peak summer months.

Such adaptive scheduling would be a simple but powerful move to show that the government acknowledges the severity of heat and Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate stress. It would also align better with global best practices, where flexible school and work timings are implemented to mitigate heat exposure effects by the shifting climate.

Reforestation and Urban Planning: Part of the Solution Against Climate Change in Pakistan

While adaptive policies are the need of the hour, long-term solutions lie in restoring the environment. The massive deforestation across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has played a significant role in altering the local climate. Forests, which were once a buffer against extreme temperatures, are rapidly disappearing due to illegal logging, urban expansion, and unsustainable development.

A robust reforestation campaign, the one that goes beyond token plantation drives, is a critical. Forest cover must be restored not just in headlines, but in hectares.

Alongside urban planning, we must incorporate green spaces, heat-mitigating infrastructure to mitigate the urban heat island effects, and eco-friendly building designs to future-proof our cities and towns. Besides the roadsides may be covered with trees to mitigate the effect of heat from Charcoal.

Public Awareness and Government Accountability

We know that Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate stress is a harsh reality of the day. It is here, affecting almost everything, ranging from our health, economy, and day-to-day living. And yet, the public discourse in K-P remains alarmingly silent on this front of climate change shifts in Pakistan.

There needs to be an active effort to educate communities, especially in vulnerable zones, about climate risks and adaptation strategies. The government, for its part, must be held accountable for the policies that fail to reflect Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate stress. Civil society, media, and educators should also push for reforms that place climate adaptation at the center of planning and budgeting.

A Call to Wake Up

The government must wake up to the climate realities that have redefined our lives. Continuing cold weather allowances while ignoring the brunt of summer heat is just ironic. Every decision now must pass through the lens of Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate stress. It’s about survival, health, and sustainability. It’s about protecting the children, educators, civil servants, and future.

Final Thoughts

Heatwaves are becoming more common and even more intense by climate chaos in Pakistan. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also stands at a crossroads of climate change impacts. The weather is no longer what it used to be, and neither should be our policies. The nostalgia for snow-covered hills is now just that nostalgia. The future demands adaptation, courage, and smart governance from us.

If we continue to operate on assumptions from the past, we risk losing more than just comfort – we risk our lives, our livelihoods, and our legacy. It’s time to implement practical changes that reflect today’s climate, not yesterday’s.