The Monsoon Catastrophe in Pakistan

August 25th, 2025
Dhruv Arun

Heavy monsoon rains and flash floods have killed at least 739 people across Pakistan since late June, displacing thousands and destroying homes and crops; more severe weather is expected in the weeks ahead. The National Disaster Management Authority has also reported 978 injuries and the destruction or damage of more than 2,400 houses, with over 1,000 livestock lost as of August 21st. Furthermore, authorities declared a state of emergency in nine districts, including Buner, Shangla and Mansehra, after torrential rains between August 15 and 19 killed dozens and damaged many homes. The worst-hit province recorded 380 deaths since August 15. Nearly 100 schools were also destroyed.

UNICEF reports that at least 21 children have died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone since August 15. Many more are at risk due to displacement, disrupted schooling, and limited access to clean water and sanitation. Many schools have been destroyed, with others being used as temporary shelters, further restricting access to education and safe spaces. Additionally, torrential rains, flash floods and cloudbursts have wreaked havoc across northwest Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where government infrastructure has suffered damage worth ₹20 billion, according to an official report released Thursday. The destroyed properties included 37 schools, 83 roads and 10 bridges. Irrigation infrastructure bore the heaviest blow, with 226 channels and 68 water supply schemes left unusable. In fact, the Irrigation Department alone reported losses of more than ₹10.3 billion. In the Sindh province, intense rainfall on August 19 caused severe urban flooding in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. At least six people were killed in incidents related to the downpour, including wall collapses and electrocutions. Rainfall in some areas reached up to 145 millimetres—approximately 5.75 inches—submerging roads and leaving large swathes of the city without electricity for several hours. Additionally, the province of Punjab also suffered extensive flooding along the Indus and Chenab rivers, which has displaced more than 2,300 families and damaged cash crops across thousands of acres. According to a report by Dawn, the Indus River is currently facing medium-level flooding at Taunsa and Chashma, while low-level flooding has been recorded at Tarbela and Kalabagh. The Sutlej River is also experiencing low flood levels at Ganda Singh Wala and Sulemanki.

Officials stated that a sudden surge in water submerged several houses and swept away residents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Emergency teams searching for the missing are struggling to remove mud and debris. At least 15 people are feared dead in fresh flash floods triggered by intense rain in Pakistan's north-western region, still reeling from last week's devastating deluge. Federal and provincial authorities are leading the response, having mobilized over 2,000 personnel for rescue and evacuation. In coordination with the UN and partners, key relief items have been dispatched to affected areas, including food, tents and medical supplies. OCHA said it has deployed field coordinators to the hardest-hit districts and activated emergency mechanisms, prioritising life-saving assistance in health, water, food security and shelter. UNICEF has also dispatched essential medicines and hygiene kits to affected districts. Erratic and intensified rainfall patterns—amplified by climate change—are compounding the country’s vulnerability and threatening the lives, livelihoods and long-term recovery across southern Asia.

Extemp Analysis by: Daphne Kalir-Starr

Question: How should Pakistan reform its disaster response to address increasingly deadly monsoon seasons?

AGD: With a topic as dark as this one, I think a narrative AGD is the right way to go here. I think making a joke about the weather risks being insensitive to the very real suffering going on right now. Research someone who has lost their home in the monsoon, and importantly, tell their story. It's important with narrative AGD to remember someone’s name, and details about them that make them come to life. Don’t just make them a sob story!

Background: Tight three sentences as usual. First should be about the effect the monsoons have had: how many people have they displaced? What damages will they incur? The article above has some excellent statistics. The second sentence should be about the failure of the government to respond/how the current system is flawed. Discuss how UNICEF has stepped in, but officials haven’t invested in the right technology/prevention systems. Third sentence should be about what they could hypothetically do to improve, but make sure not to give away too much info about your points. Something like “however, if the Pakistani government invested in flood walls, the scope of the disaster could be greatly decreased”

Sig: Make the stakes very clear here. I think a historical SOS could be really powerful here; explain how many people have lost their lives in previous monsoon seasons, make clear this is not just a recent problem. This is where you can use really powerful rhetoric, phrases like “we must demand the answer to today’s question”

Answer: By more effectively preparing at every step of the way

By investing in detection technology (make this a point about how no one knows how bad the monsoons will be until it's too late, and Pakistan’s disaster response doesn’t alert civilians effectively)
By more effectively fortifying infrastructure (make this a point about how Pakistan’s disaster response hasn’t actually invested in the right materials to make towns/communities durable. They’ve used the wrong material to build up homes, and once the monsoons hit, there are power outages which prevent communication)
By training communities for evacuation (make this a point about how their special forces/military is spread thin and can’t save local communities, and people have no idea how to deal with monsoons, or where to go. Instead, partner with UNICEF to send instructors to communities so people know the correct procedures)

Substructure:

Problem (something wrong with current disaster response)

Solution (how investing in XYZ can help Pakistan fix this)