"Pakistan's Climate Crisis: A Battle Against Injustice and Nature's Fury"

In the throes of yet another devastating monsoon season, Pakistan finds itself grappling with a harsh reality that transcends mere meteorological phenomena. The country's climate minister, Musadik Malik, has emphatically denounced what he terms a 'crisis of injustice,' highlighting a skewed global allocation of green funding as Pakistan endures the brunt of nature's wrath. With heavy rains and flash floods wreaking havoc, at least 32 lives have been lost in the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since the onset of the monsoon. This grim tally mirrors the fatalities from last month's severe storms, underscoring a pattern of extreme weather that has become all too familiar.

The Climate Risk Index report of 2025, drawing from 2022 data, placed Pakistan at the top of the list of countries most affected by climate change. The catastrophic flooding of that year submerged nearly a third of the nation, impacting 33 million people, claiming over 1,700 lives, and inflicting damages worth $14.8 billion alongside economic losses of $15.2 billion. Last year, the country faced further inundation and a heatwave that claimed nearly 600 lives. Malik's poignant words to Al Jazeera reflect a deep-seated frustration: 'I don’t look at this as a crisis of climate. I look at this as a crisis of justice and this lopsided allocation that we are talking about.'

The financial landscape paints a bleak picture. Earlier this year, a former head of Pakistan's central bank highlighted the need for an annual investment of $40 to $50 billion until 2050 to tackle climate challenges, despite Pakistan's negligible contribution to global CO2 emissions. In January 2023, the international community pledged $10 billion, yet only $2.8 billion materialized the following year. The International Monetary Fund's recent announcement of a $1.3 billion climate resilience loan over 28 months falls short of addressing the vast needs articulated by Malik.

He further critiques the global distribution of green financing: 'Two countries in the world [China and the United States of America] produce 45 percent of the carbon emissions. The fact that the top 10 countries of the world account for almost 70 percent of the carbon burden is also something people are aware of. But 85 percent of the world’s green financing is going to the same 10 countries, while the rest of the world – some 180-odd countries – are getting 10 to 15 percent green financing.'

Pakistan's predicament is exacerbated by its geographical and climatic vulnerabilities. A study conducted by the climate change ministry and Italy's EvK2CNR revealed that the country hosts over 13,000 glaciers. The warming climate accelerates their melting, heightening flood risks, damaging infrastructure, and threatening communities with water scarcity. The floods have obliterated centuries-old civilizations in Sindh province, erasing mosques, temples, schools, hospitals, and monuments. The cascading effects include loss of education, health care access, safe drinking water, and increased infant mortality, as noted in the report.

Amnesty International's recent report casts a stark light on the inadequacies of Pakistan’s healthcare and disaster response systems, particularly for vulnerable groups like children and the elderly. Laura Mills, a researcher with Amnesty International’s Crisis Response Programme, emphasized, 'Children and older people in Pakistan are suffering on the front line of the climate crisis, exposed to extreme heat or floods that lead to disproportionate levels of death and disease.'

As Pakistan stands at this critical juncture, the call for equitable climate justice and robust international support becomes ever more urgent. The narrative of a nation battling both natural calamities and systemic inequities demands global attention and action.