Climate crisis at our doorstep

ANOTHER summer has arrived in Pakistan, and once again the country stands under the shadow of an unforgiving heatwave season. Temperatures are rising earlier, lasting longer, and striking harder than before. From Karachi to Lahore and from Sindh to southern Punjab, the signs of climate stress are becoming impossible to ignore. Heatwaves, water scarcity, erratic rainfall, urban flooding, glacial melting, crop failures, and worsening air quality are no longer isolated environmental events; they are interconnected warnings of a deeper climate crisis unfolding at our doorstep. For years, climate change was treated as a distant environmental concern. That illusion no longer exists. Pakistan now experiences climate change as an everyday reality affecting public health, food security, economic stability, infrastructure, and social resilience. The devastating floods of recent years, recurring droughts, and record-breaking temperatures have exposed how vulnerable the country remains despite contributing less than one percent to global greenhouse gas emissions. Developing nations like Pakistan are paying the highest price for a crisis they contributed the least to creating. Yet climate change in Pakistan cannot simply be viewed as an environmental issue. It is increasingly becoming a national development challenge. Rising temperatures reduce labor productivity, increase electricity demand, intensify water shortages, and place immense pressure on healthcare systems. Heat-related illnesses are becoming more common, particularly among outdoor workers and low-income communities living in poorly ventilated housing. Urban centers continue expanding through unchecked concrete infrastructure, creating heat islands that trap warmth and make cities significantly hotter than surrounding areas. At the same time, deforestation, inefficient transportation systems, and poor waste management continue to accelerate environmental degradation. The global climate debate is also evolving. Increas