Districts like Buner, Bajaur, and Swat suffered the most. In Buner alone, 23,637 acres were affected, followed by 11,404 acres in Bajaur and 3,556 acres in Swat. Key crops, including maize, rice, and vegetables, were severely damaged. For farmers, the losses were not merely financial-they represented the destruction of years of hard work.

“In Moments, Everything Was Gone”

Ziaullah, a 30-year-old shopkeeper and farmer from Sudher village in Buner, recalls the horror.“It had been raining for three days, but the morning the disaster struck, the sky was clear. We thought the danger had passed,” he said.“Then suddenly, the rain started again-and within moments, everything was gone.”

The floodwaters were so strong that the entire village was submerged.“The current carried away rocks, trees, and massive boulders. People were running to save their lives. When daylight came, everyone was searching for their loved ones, livestock, and crops.”

Although the loss of life in his village was minimal, Ziaullah said the financial losses were devastating.“I had 12 kanals of rented farmland where I had grown maize and peas. The flood wiped it all away. Only four kanals remain usable. The rest is completely destroyed. Restoring the land requires heavy machinery, but I simply can't afford it. We pay up to 80,000 rupees annually in rent, but now even that seems impossible.”

He added that while the government compensated families who lost loved ones, those who suffered financial ruin were left to fend for themselves.“We're trying to rehabilitate the land on our own, but it's extremely difficult.”

“The Government's Cheque Bounced”

Another farmer from the same area, Shah Wali Khan, a daily wage laborer, lost everything in the August 15 flood.“We barely had time to save our lives. I grabbed my children and ran to my relatives' house. When we returned, our home was nothing but rubble. The maize crop on our 21 kanals of land was completely destroyed, and the soil is no longer cultivable.”

Shah Wali said the government gave him a cheque of 1 million rupees as compensation,“but it bounced. Now, it's just a piece of paper. We are still living in a single room at our relatives' house. The government keeps making promises, but there's no real help.”

“This Is Not a Natural Disaster-It's a Human-Caused Crisis”

Environmental journalist Asif Mohmand said Pakistan's recent devastation is a direct consequence of climate change.“The 2025 floods were exactly as predicted by the United Nations. Experts had already warned that monsoon seasons would become more intense, but Pakistan failed to take those warnings seriously,” he said.

According to Mohmand, the crisis is worsened not only by climate change but also by government inefficiency.“Our weather monitoring systems are inadequate, early warning systems are weak, and public awareness is minimal. That's why every natural disaster turns into a national tragedy.”

He emphasized that the world combats climate change through two main strategies: mitigation (reducing emissions) and adaptation (preparing for impacts).“Pakistan has recognized both at the policy level, but implementation is missing. Tree plantation drives are long-term projects, but immediate measures are needed to reduce disaster impacts at the local level.”

Action, Not Just Policy, Is the Need of the Hour

Experts warn that without urgent and effective action, climate change could trigger food insecurity, economic instability, and existential threats to human life in Pakistan.

From floods and glacial melt to soil erosion and erratic weather patterns, the country's environmental balance is already under severe strain-demanding not just policy responses, but decisive and immediate action.