Issue Brief on “Pakistan Floods 2025: Lessons for Food Security and Climate Resilience”

Introduction

In 2025, Pakistan declared both a climate emergency and an agricultural emergency after weeks of relentless monsoon rains brought widespread destruction. The monsoon, beginning in late June, swelled rivers across the country, inundated entire districts, displaced millions of people, and submerged vast tracts of farmland. From Karachi's flooded streets to Punjab's waterlogged plains, the devastation cut across rural and urban landscapes.[1]

By early September, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported nearly 1,000 deaths, thousands of injuries, and millions displaced. Punjab, the nation's agricultural heartland, bore the brunt, with over 21 million people evacuated and nearly 2 million acres of farmland destroyed.[2] The floods have made clear that climate change is no longer a future threat but a current reality, eroding food security, economic stability, and social resilience.

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