Global warming exacerbates deadly monsoon floods in Pakistan, according to research findings
Pakistan has been hit hard by its most devastating monsoon season on record in 2022, with over 1,700 lives lost and an estimated $40 billion in damage. The heavy rainfall, which has resulted in many building collapses in urban and rural areas, is evidence of climate change making floods more dangerous, according to a new study by World Weather Attribution.
One of the victims of the flooding was 50-year-old businessman Saqib Hassan from northern Pakistan, who lost his home, 18 relatives' homes, and farm animals worth approximately $360,000 on July 22. Hassan and his family have been living in tents provided by the government for the past two weeks, receiving food rations worth $177.
International organizations are actively supporting Pakistan in addressing the impacts of human-caused climate change on extreme weather, especially flooding. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), in partnership with Pakistan's government and funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), launched a $9.8 million project in 2025 to protect flood-prone communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. This initiative installs early warning systems, improves government coordination for faster alerts, and trains communities on evacuation and protecting their homes and farms. It also strengthens disaster management authorities for better emergency response.
Pakistan collaborates with global institutions like the UN, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank to secure climate financing and technical support for resilience projects. The Green Climate Fund has provided financial assistance to improve climate resilience in vulnerable regions. The Pakistan Climate Change Council, involving government officials and experts, advises on climate policies, including disaster risk reduction and promotes investment in renewable energy, indirectly reducing climate risks by decreasing fossil fuel dependence.
International frameworks such as the Paris Agreement bind Pakistan to mitigation and adaptation efforts, facilitating access to international climate finance and technical cooperation. Regional cooperation through bodies like the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) is enhancing climate resilience by proposing a regional green fund and promoting renewable energy initiatives, green technology transfer, and specialized climate finance mechanisms to assist vulnerable countries like Pakistan.
Domestic institutional strengthening is supported by collaborative networks such as the Climate Resilience Network (Pak-CRN), which integrates science, policy, and action for climate resilience. Regarding building flood-resilient homes, direct detailed projects on construction methods were not specifically mentioned, but the WFP-GCF project does imply efforts in resilience and preparedness at the household level. International organizations often promote green loans and incentives for eco-friendly practices in Pakistan, which may extend to climate-resilient construction through private sector engagement.
However, the UN reports that global funds set up to deal with loss and damages due to climate change or funds set up to adapt to climate change are falling short of the amounts needed to help countries like Pakistan. Developed countries such as the United States and European nations are providing far less than what's needed in adaptation financing. The UN also warns that its loss and damage fund only holds a fraction of what's needed to address yearly economic damage related to human-caused climate change.
The overflowing of glacial lakes led to flooding that destroyed a key bridge connecting Nepal and China, as well as several hydropower dams in July. This week, a village in northern India was hit by floods and landslides, resulting in at least four deaths and leaving hundreds missing. Pakistan's government has reported at least 300 deaths and 1,600 damaged houses due to the floods, heavy rain, and other weather since June 26.
Climate scientist Jakob Steiner, based in Islamabad, states that high temperatures and intense precipitation worsened by global warming have accelerated the pace of recent extreme weather events faster than climate experts expected. Mariam Zachariah, a researcher at the Center for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London and lead author of the WWA study, said that every tenth of a degree of warming leads to heavier monsoon rainfall.
Despite being responsible for less than 1% of planet-heating gases, Pakistan experiences a disproportionate amount of damage from extreme weather. Many extreme weather events that were projected to happen in 2050 have already occurred in 2025, according to Steiner. The heavy monsoon rains have resulted in a series of disasters that have battered South Asia, especially the Himalayan mountains, which span across five countries, in the last few months. Last-minute announcements from a nearby mosque were the only warning Hassan and his family received to evacuate their homes in the small town of Sarwarabad and get to higher ground.
- Increased international focus is being directed towards the environment and climate change, as evidenced by the United Nations World Food Programme's partnership with Pakistan's government to install early warning systems for flood-prone communities.
- The devastating monsoon season in Pakistan in 2022, which resulted in numerous deaths and significant damage, is seen as evidence of climate change making floods more dangerous.
- The annual economic damage related to human-caused climate change is substantial and requires more funding than is currently available from global funds, according to a report by the UN.
- The WWF-GCF project aims not only to improve government coordination for faster alerts but also to train communities on evacuation and protecting their homes and farms, indirectly impacting the field of environmental science.
- The heavy monsoon rainfall in Pakistan, which has led to numerous disasters, is reported to be heavier due to every tenth of a degree of warming, according to a study by Mariam Zachariah, a researcher at the Center for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London.
