In the Buner district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the serenity of dawn was ripped apart by a terrifying roar rolling through the valleys as a harbinger of doom. Within minutes, torrents of mud, jagged rocks, and rushing water came crashing down, and swallowing the entire villages in their unstoppable path.
Homes crumbled, fields retreated under a sea of sludge, and lives were thrown into chaos. Clutching children, or whatever belongings they could save and carry, the families scrambled towards higher ground with pounding hearts. For the survivors trapped in the calamity, it seemed as though the mountains – or even nature’s once kind hand itself – had turned against them.
But the reasons behind Pakistan repeated floods are a stark reminder of how climate change fuels deadly cloudbursts and how the deadly flooding wipes out villages in northwestern Pakistan.
The Deluge of Climate Disasters and Reasons Behind Pakistan Repeated Floods: A Region at War with Water
When closely looked at the deluge of disasters and repeated floods in Pakistan, particularly in its northwest, the situation is not simply a quirk of nature – it is the violent face of a warming globe. The grim reality is that climate crusaders – responsible for greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation – seem at loggerheads with nature. Whereas, the victims are the ordinary people, whose lives are devastated by increasingly violent episodes of rain and floods.
Toll By the Repeated Floods in Pakistan
Pakistan is facing severe droughts and heavy monsoon rains and floods since long. The 2022 alone submerged approximately one-third of the country, killed more than 1,700 people, and left 33 million affected. The damage was staggering at about $14.8 billion in infrastructure losses, $15.2 billion in economic disruption, and nearly nine million people were pushed into poverty.
Agriculture, housing, transport, and health systems were all crippled, that set the economy back years. According to the Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2025, Pakistan ranked as the most climate-affected country in term of extreme weather events in 2022 due to record-breaking monsoon rains.
The recent floods, 2025, caused estimated damages of Rs822 billion (around $2.9 billion) and over 1,000 deaths. The agriculture sector reportedly suffered the greatest loss at Rs430 billion, followed by infrastructure damage estimated at Rs307 billion. Similarly, a total of 312,000 houses were affected nationwide – including 213,000 in Punjab, 6,370 in Balochistan, 3,222 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 3,677 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, and 332 in Sindh.
The floods also destroyed over 2,200 livestock,and damaged major crops across the country including 3.4 million bales of cotton, one million tonnes of rice, and up to 3.3 million tonnes of sugarcane. The figures highlighting the losses are not just statistics, but each flood is both a natural phenomenon and an economic event. It is a grim reminder of a fundamental truth – that natue and economy go hand in hand, and a healthy planet is our most valuable asset.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Floods
KP has become the epicenter of destruction. The Buner region of the province has been among the worst-hit, especially in the areas of Beshonrai, Gokand and Qadar Nagar, which saw communal burial, never seen in the social aspect of Islamic burial over this part.
The entire villages were swept away by torrents of water, mud, and boulders. Thousands are displaced, crops have been destroyed, and aid agencies warn of more severe weather is expected in the weeks ahead into September – raising the risk of further floods, with landslides, and food shortages.
How Climate Change Fuels the Deadly Cloudbursts and Deluge of Climate Disasters in Pakistan?
The destructive features of this year’s ferocious floods have been cloudbursts. These are sudden, and highly localized downpours that unleash immense volumes of water in a short span of time. They occur mostly in the mountainous regions during the monsoon season, when warm, and moisture-laden air from the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea strikes the Himalayas, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush ranges. The cooling air condenses into dense clouds by upward push of air becoming like a balloon full of water, which suddenly releases torrents of rain.
The India Meteorological Department defines a cloudburst as rainfall that exceeds 100 mm (4 inches) per hour. This intensity, when combined with steep slopes and fragile geology, funnels storm runoff into destructive flash floods and landslides. The residents of District Buner describe a terrifying scene of walls of mud and jagged massive boulders roaring down mountainsides, and shaking the ground like an earthquake.
Why Cloudbursts Are So Deadly
Cloudbursts are notoriously hard to predict, as the storms are too small and fast-moving for current weather models to track them precisely. As climate scientist Roxy Mathew Koll explains, this region is also data-sparse, making it difficult to monitor, understand, or forecast such events.
The devastation is compounded by the rampant deforestation, which leaves hillsides unstable and prone to landslides. The areas swept away by the flash floods were known for thick forests. Unfortunately deforestation has deprived them of the natural protection. What is more, the unplanned development, often along the streams and floodplains, worsens the situation.
Besides, the lack of early warning systems and weak governance limit community preparedness. As Islamabad-based expert Ali Tauqeer Sheikh notes, “The bigger gap is not the technology gap, it’s the communication gap.” People often receive little to no warning before disaster strikes, leaving them vulnerable.
Climate Change and Extreme Rainfall
Scientists agree that the climate crisis is supercharging the monsoon rains. The rising global temperatures are making the air and oceans warmer, allowing the atmosphere to hold and release more moisture. The warmer oceans are loading the monsoon winds with extra moisture. Whereas, the hotter atmosphere intensifies rainfall when moist air is pushed up mountain slopes. Heatwaves increase atmospheric moisture by 7% for each degree above average, fueling heavier downpours.
When meet the melting glaciers in the Himalayas and Karakoram, they destabilise landscapes, worsening floods and landslides. This deadly cycle means that droughts or the repeated floods in Pakistan can occur in the same season – leaving agriculture, food security, and water supplies increasingly uncertain.
Pakistan: A Climate Victim, Not a Culprit
Pakistan contributes less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it is among the most climate-vulnerable nations of the world. The repeated floods in Pakistan are killing hundreds of people each year. The ferocious Pakistan floods 2022 killed nearly 2,000 people and caused $40 billion in damage.
Every year since then, heavy rains have caused displacement and destruction. Studies confirm that climate change is making these extreme weather events even more intense and frequent. The average rainfall in Pakistan has decreased, however, the torrential rains have become more common, creating both drought and flooding risks in the same year.
Regional Challenges: The Need for Unity
The Himalayas, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush span eight countries, meaning the extreme weather in one nation often spills into another. Unfortunately, instead of cooperation, regional tensions are growing. Relations between Pakistan and India are extremely strained.
In May 2025, India suspended a key treaty that governed the Indus River, and was a lifeline for millions of people on both sides. Experts warn that the Indus Water Treaty needs renewal to address emerging climate threats. As Sheikh emphasizes, “We face the same set of problems, and there are similar solutions. However, our ability to learn from each other is handicapped—and that is very damaging.”
Building Resilience in a Fragile Region
For millions of people living downstream in Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, survival depends on building resilience. Scientists and experts recommend avoiding settlements and construction in flood-prone hazard zones. Enforcing climate-resilient infrastructure and expanding early warning systems for vulnerable communities. Besides, restoring forests and ecosystems that act as natural flood barriers.
Without appropriate and urgent action, the “new normal” of climate disasters in South Asia will only grow worse to threaten the precious lives, livelihoods, and stability.
Conclusion: A Wake-Up Call from Nature
Flood situation due to the ongoing rains is more than just a seasonal disaster – it is a warning sign of the climate crisis at just 1.2°C of global warming. The world is currently on the track for 3°C warming, which would make such catastrophes unimaginably worse in future. As Pakistan struggles to rebuild villages buried under the mud and rubble, the message is clear: climate change is here, and no nation can face it alone. Regional unity, global responsibility, and local preparedness are the only way forward.
