We Lost so Much to Mother Nature

This year’s floods have once again laid bare Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate extremes. What began as heavy monsoon rains in the north quickly turned into nationwide devastation, sweeping away homes, bridges, fields, and lives

Families had gathered in Swat Valley for the summer vacation, and the river appeared to be still enough for kids to take selfies at its edge. But in a matter of minutes, the water rose like a wall and engulfed 17 people. Eight people were never found, and among them, four were children. Only nine bodies were recovered. "We were having breakfast... the kids went to take a selfie near the river," a family member told Geo News, “The river did not have a lot of water at the time.”

There were many tragedies like this one. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of Pakistan reported that over 900 people died as a result of the 2025 monsoon floods by the beginning of September. With more than 500 fatalities, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had the highest number, according to Dawn, followed by Punjab (234), Sindh (58), and Balochistan (26). As a sobering reminder of who suffers the most in such tragedies, the NDMA confirmed that 241 of the deceased were children. Entire villages in the north are still underwater, and thousands of houses and bridges have been washed away.

Infrastructure that Never Came

The question many ask is: Why are there so few dams? Pakistan lacked a significant storage project for decades following the construction of Mangla and Tarbela in the 1960s and 1970s. Though groundbreakings were celebrated and announcements were made, progress was slow.

The chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa acknowledged on ARY News, "This destruction could have been avoided had 25 percent of the dam budget been spent earlier." Speaking to Geo News, the Prime Minister of Pakistan concurred that increasing water storage capacity is necessary to prevent future flash floods.

However, experts warn that dams are insufficient on their own. Dawn Newspaper was informed by a water specialist that Pakistan requires a "systems approach" that includes reforestation, off-channel reservoirs, floodplain zoning enforcement, dams, and early warning systems. He cautioned that Pakistan will continue to alternate between drought and floods in the absence of such a combination.

The Voice of Flood Victims 

The voices of survivors are at the centre of these discussions. "We lost everything," a mother in a relief camp in Gilgit-Baltistan told The Express Tribune, “My kids want to know when we're going home. I'm not sure how to respond.”

A farmer in southern Punjab showed Dawn his silt-buried cotton crop, which had been destroyed. He claimed that his family had been fed by this land for many years. "It's just mud now," he said.

According to NDMA statistics quoted in The Express Tribune, emergency services have rescued more than half a million people. Tents and food are being given out in relief camps scattered throughout Punjab and KP. Although the recovery will be gradual and uneven, provincial governments have started to compensate victims, allegedly giving Rs. 2 million for each life lost and Rs1 million for each home destroyed.

Should Citizens Still have Faith? 

If Pakistan has learned anything over the last 15 years, it is that floods are no longer rare shocks striking once a generation. They have become almost seasonal under the weight of climate change. And the cycle will only grow harsher if bold investments in resilience are delayed further.

So what will be the last straw? Will Pakistan ever build the dams, governments have promised for decades? Or will flood victims continue to be “rescued by luck,” left without sanitation, clean water, or safe shelter? Will families in Swat ever have the peace of mind that their loved ones won’t be swept away by the next sudden surge?

How long can a country survive without an adequate water distribution system, accessible flood alert apps, and basic healthcare in the aftermath of a disaster? For how much longer will displaced people in Sindh and the north have to keep paying the price for the failures of those in charge? Something needs to be done because innocent lives depend on it.

Akhir kab tak?