In late June and through July 2025, the monsoon season arrived as it always does. We expected the usual showers, the green fields, and the relief from summer heat. But this time, the clouds carried something far more dangerous. The rain didn’t just fall—it poured with a force that tore through cities and villages, flooding streets, destroying homes, and taking lives.


When Rain Becomes a Threat

I still remember the images: water rushing through narrow streets, people wading waist-deep while holding children above their heads, families scrambling to save whatever they could before the floodwaters swallowed it all.

This wasn’t just bad weather—it was extreme weather. According to climate experts, human-caused global warming made these rains far heavier than they would have been in the past. While Pakistan contributes little to global emissions, we are among the countries paying the highest price.

Lives Lost, Futures Changed

The floods claimed more than 300 lives in just a matter of weeks. Entire neighborhoods were washed away. Thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed. What these numbers don’t show is the pain behind them—the family photos lost forever, the schoolbooks ruined, the wedding dresses swept away in muddy waters.

I think of a father I saw in a news clip, holding his little girl while standing on the roof of his half-submerged home. His voice was steady, but his eyes told the story—fear for what was coming, and uncertainty about where they could go.

A Nation Pulling Together

Yet, in the middle of so much loss, Pakistan’s spirit showed its strength. Neighbors who had little still found something to share. Volunteers formed human chains to pull stranded families to safety. From Karachi’s crowded streets to Quetta’s far-off hills, strangers became rescuers overnight.

I saw young people distributing food packs, blankets, and bottled water to families who had lost everything. I saw women cooking in community kitchens for flood victims. These acts reminded me that while disasters break walls, they also build bridges between hearts.

The Climate Wake-Up Call

The lesson is clear: this was not just “nature’s anger.” The floods were made worse by a changing climate—one we are not fully prepared for. If we don’t act, events like this will keep coming, stronger and more destructive each time.

Pakistan needs stronger flood defenses, better drainage systems, and climate-resilient housing. We need urban planning that takes heavy rain into account, renewable energy to reduce emissions, and international support to adapt to the changes already here.

Protecting the Future

Every drop of rain tells us something now. It tells us to prepare. To rebuild in ways that can withstand tomorrow’s storms. To make sure that the next time the clouds open, we are ready—not just with umbrellas, but with systems and safety nets that protect lives and livelihoods.

We cannot stop the rain, but we can decide what it will mean for us. Will it be a source of fear, or will it once again become the blessing it was meant to be?

A Closing Thought

When I hear rain today, I think about choices. Choices for safer cities. Choices for cleaner energy. Choices for our children’s tomorrow. Because the next monsoon will come—and what it brings will depend on what we do now.

This is not just about surviving the rain. It’s about learning from it. And it’s about ensuring that the next time clouds gather over Pakistan, they bring only life—not loss.