The recent flash floods across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, claiming over 220 lives in a single day, are a grim reminder of nature’s fury and human vulnerability. Torrential rains since June have left hundreds dead, thousands displaced, and infrastructure in ruins. Helicopter crashes during rescue operations and stranded tourists evince the perilous conditions faced by both residents and responders.
While provincial governments have mobilized funds and personnel, the recurrent devastation accentuates systemic gaps in disaster preparedness, early warning systems, and infrastructure resilience. Climate change, unplanned urbanization, and poor drainage amplify the human toll of such natural events.
Pakistan’s response cannot be reactive alone. Strategic investment in flood management, reforestation, resilient housing, and coordinated disaster planning must become national priorities. Every life lost is a call to action, demanding not only immediate relief but long-term safeguards to protect communities in vulnerable regions.
The northern deluge is more than a calamity—it is a test of governance, foresight, and national resolve. Pakistan must rise to meet it.
Read more: Dawn
