Climate change not a future threat but it’s here and accelerating: Umar Rehman Malik
Abdullah Jan
Islamabad: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Umar Rehman Malik this week said this Swat tragedy and earlier catastrophic floods in Sindh were stark reminders that climate change is not a future threat but it’s here and accelerating.
“Glacial melt, erratic monsoons, and unregulated development have turned vulnerable regions into disaster zones,” he said in a statement.
Umar Rehman Malik said Pakistan contributes less than 1% to global emissions but ranks among the most climate vulnerable nations.
“This is a climate emergency, not an isolated event. Adaptation and resilience must be treated as national security imperatives,” he added.
This week, in a tragic incident in Swat, 18 people who were stranded in the river near the Mingora Bypass drowned.
Meanwhile, the Irrigation Department has issued flood warnings at four locations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A high-level flood has been recorded in the Swat River at Khwazakhela, while low-level flooding has been observed at Tarbela, Warsak, and Adenzai.
Between June 20 and 23, heavy monsoon rains, lightning strikes, and collapsing walls led to the deaths of six people and injuries to five others in various areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the PDMA report, the deceased included three men, one woman, and two children, while the injured comprised three men and two women.
The rains and stormy conditions also damaged a total of seven houses — five partially and two completely destroyed. These incidents were reported in districts including Mansehra, Buner, Lower and Upper Dir, Malakand, and Kolai-Palas Kohistan.
PDMA spokesperson Anwar Shehzad said that heavy rains are expected in most districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from the evening of June 26 to July 1. An official notification has been issued and sent to district administrations across the province, advising them to remain prepared for any emergencies.
Anwar Shehzad said that some districts could also experience heavy downpours and hailstorms, raising concerns over possible glacier bursts in northern areas. The vulnerable districts include Chitral, Upper and Lower Dir, Upper Swat, and Kohistan, where local populations have been placed on high alert.
District administrations have been instructed to stock emergency supplies and utilize available resources in advance. Tourists have been advised to follow safety protocols and avoid unnecessary travel. The emergency operations center remains active, and the public has been asked to report any untoward incident by calling 1700.
On June 23, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its report titled “The State of the Climate in Asia 2024”. The report states that Asia is warming at nearly twice the global average, resulting in intensified weather extremes and severe impacts on the region’s economies, ecosystems, and communities. One consequence of this warming is the heightened risk of flooding due to intense rainfall.
A previous study titled “Alarming Heatwave 2024” revealed that during the month of June alone, around 700 people died in Sindh due to the extreme heatwave — with most of the deaths reported in Karachi.
Similarly, according to The Guardian, over 50,000 people died across Europe in 2023 due to heatwaves intensified by carbon pollution, with the highest number of fatalities in Greece, Italy, and Spain.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also declared climate change the leading cause of environment-related deaths in Europe.
These developments serve as a grave reminder of the climate crisis already unfolding across the globe, with Pakistan among the countries most vulnerable to its consequences.
