Monsoon floods have become a recurring national disaster in Pakistan. Almost every year, the country faces widespread destruction, though the scale and nature of the damage may vary. The statistics reveal a disturbing and consistent pattern. The 2010 floods caused the death of 1,985 people, affecting over 20 percent of the land area and displacing more than 20 million people. The 2012 flooding affected 4.85 million people and damaged 640,000 houses. The 2022 floods caused $14.9 billion in damages and 1,700 deaths. In 2025, the monsoon killed over 1,037 people, displaced approximately 2.9 million at the peak of the disaster, and caused extensive damage to crops, livestock, and infrastructure across the country.
The 2026 monsoon season has arrived without pause. Since June 26, 2026, torrential rains across Pakistan have killed 122 people, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recording the highest fatalities at 55, followed by Punjab with 46, Azad Jammu and Kashmir with 10, Balochistan with 8, and Gilgit-Baltistan with one casualty. The season has months yet to run. This emergency is unfolding while many communities are still recovering from the 2025 floods, with persistent food insecurity and housing shortages leaving millions with a reduced capacity to withstand another severe season. Authorities have themselves warned they cannot rule out a repeat of the catastrophic 2022 scenario.
There is a lot of hue and cry during these occurrences. Immediately after the monsoon passes, however, governments, responsible institutions, and even the people forget the losses entirely — until another occurrence the following year. The stereotype thinking among government circles and institutions like NDMA and the Ministry of Climate Change is that the monsoon is a natural calamity and hence nothing can be done. All then take refuge behind climate change, without disclosing who is actually responsible for the scale of devastation in Pakistan. There are few pre-monsoon measures beyond warnings and cosmetic post-flood actions. In connection with flood control and avoidance of losses, there has been criminal negligence of successive governments in Pakistan.
This is true that rainfall during monsoon is a natural phenomenon. However, through meticulous planning and correct identification of flood threats, a great deal can be done to channelise rainwater before it turns into uncontrolled destruction. The Meteorological Department forecasts weather and quantum of rainfalls in various parts of the country well in advance. Why cannot governments make permanent arrangements to avoid losses every year? Issuing flood warnings, visiting flood-affected areas, and distributing meagre compensation to affected people is nothing more than cosmetic action.
The major structural causes that compound destruction every year include: a) blocked natural drainage systems across Pakistan, especially in urban areas, where natural watercourses have been encroached upon or blocked by influential developers, b) unregulated urban expansion, with housing schemes constructed on riverbeds and floodplains, c) decades of unchecked deforestation in KP, AJK, and Gilgit-Baltistan, which has dramatically worsened flood risks — in the 2025 floods, massive quantities of illegally felled timber were seen floating in rivers and streams across GB and Kashmir, a damning testament to deforestation that political elites of nearly all major parties have permitted to continue, d) lack of water storage infrastructure — few dams or reservoirs exist to control excess water flow, e) river siltation, which has reduced the capacity of rivers to carry floodwaters, f) poor urban planning, leaving cities entirely ill-equipped to handle heavy rains, and g) seismic activity, causing landslides in mountainous areas with increasing frequency.
A new and gravely serious dimension has been added to this crisis. India unilaterally suspended the Indus Waters Treaty on April 23, 2025, following the Pahalgam incident. The Indus Waters Treaty — the 1960 compact that bound both countries to share hydrological data and coordinate river management — has been in suspension since April 2025. India halted formal data sharing and stopped commission meetings after the Pahalgam attack. Pakistani officials have stated that flooding from water flowing downstream from India was made significantly worse by New Delhi’s suspension of the treaty, along with the collapse of gates on an Indian barrage. Depriving Pakistan of timely hydrological data during active monsoon seasons is an act of water aggression that directly endangers Pakistani lives and violates international norms governing shared water resources.
There is an immediate need to work on a permanent mechanism for controlling floods in Pakistan. The first and foremost requirement is the identification of areas for the construction of small and medium-sized water reservoirs and storage dams. These reservoirs and dams would serve four broad objectives: a) stopping rainwater from flowing into low-lying areas and causing destruction, b) utilising stored water for agricultural purposes throughout the remaining part of the year, c) using this water for drinking purposes, and d) generating cheap electricity to overcome the chronic power shortages of the country.
To achieve this, Pakistan must formulate a flood control mechanism under an independent national body, free from political, provincial, ethnic, or any other influence. This body should consist of experts of related fields who can undertake responsibilities with determination and foresight. It should have a clear national mandate with two main objectives: a) survey and identify areas where dams and reservoirs can be built with the least possible effort and expenditure, and b) subsequent construction of water storage infrastructure for irrigation, drinking water, and hydroelectric purposes. Simultaneously, Pakistan must enforce environmental regulations, impose an immediate ban on construction on riverbeds and natural waterways, launch massive reforestation campaigns, and hold accountable those involved in deforestation, illegal land allotments, and the blocking of natural drainage.
Unless urgent and sincere action is taken, floods will continue to devastate Pakistan year after year, exposing millions of its citizens to unnecessary suffering and irreplaceable loss. The solution lies not merely in disaster response, but in disaster prevention through good governance, strategic planning, and environmental stewardship.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
