By Barrister Dr Saif
For more than two decades, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been a frontline province in the war against terrorism. The human cost has been massive, thousands of lives lost, livelihoods destroyed, and entire communities have been left traumatized. The financial cost has been no less severe, with provincial resources consistently diverted toward security and reconstruction.
Yet, as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been working towards establishment of peace, another quieter war has been taking shape, one that cannot be fought with guns or military operations. This is the war against climate change, and the province now finds itself on the frontlines of both conflicts at the same time.
Climate change is no longer a mere concept that is debated in conference halls and international seminars. It has become a living reality for millions in Pakistan now. On 15th of August, just a couple of days back, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faced one of its deadliest weather disasters, with more than 279 deaths reported across across the province due to heavy rains, cloudbursts, flash floods, and lightning. Buner suffered the highest toll with 181 deaths, followed by Shangla, Swat, Bajaur, Mansehra and Battagram. Entire families perished, dozens remain missing, and over 50 houses were destroyed or damaged. Schools, bridges, hotels, vehicles, and livestock were lost, while key roads remain blocked.
Just weeks before the current disaster, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa endured severe monsoon floods and landslides, killing at least 29 people and leaving dozens injured. On June 27, the Swat River tragedy claimed 13 members of one family. Torrential downpours triggered glacial lake outbursts and major road blockages, isolating communities and damaging hundreds of homes, schools, bridges, and roads. Rescue 1122 and PDMA led relief efforts, but recovery remained incomplete when August’s floods struck.
According to Germanwatch’s Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan remains at a higher risk and among the most climate vulnerable nations in the world. The 2022 floods was a national tragedy that claimed more than 1,700 lives and caused over $30 billion in damage according to certain estimates. Entire districts were submerged, crops were destroyed, and infrastructure, that was built in decades, was swept away in days.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s vulnerability to climate change is amplified by its unique geography. The province is home to part of the Hindu Kush Mountain range, a region containing some of the world’s largest glaciers. These glaciers are more than natural wonders; they are critical water sources for millions of people.
But rising global temperatures are melting them at an alarming rates. This has created thousands of glacial lakes, many of them unstable. These lakes pose the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), sudden, powerful surges of water that can obliterate everything in their path.
We have already witnessed this danger. In 2022, part of the Mankial Glacier in Swat broke away, causing destruction downstream. In Chitral’s Broghil Valley, near the Wakhan Corridor that links Pakistan to Afghanistan and Central Asia, the glaciers are retreating at an alarming rate and experts warn of catastrophic consequences. A single major outburst could devastate vast areas, wiping out homes, farmland, and critical infrastructure on both sides of the border.
If terrorism demands strong security networks, climate change demands equally robust early warning systems. Globally, these systems have proven to be lifesavers, giving communities the precious hours or even minutes needed to evacuate before disaster strikes.
In partnership with the UNDP, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), and the Green Climate Fund, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has made progress. Through the GLOF-II project, at least eight valleys across Swat, Upper Dir, Upper Lower Chitral and Upper Kohistan districts have been identified as being at the highest risk. Early warning systems have been successfully installed in the high risks valleys where the melting of glaciers is potential threat to local communities. For last one and half years, the system is operational in these areas, providing real-time monitoring of glaciers and rivers.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is working toward a fully integrated system. The PMD issues hazard alerts for rain, floods, landslides, GLOFs, and droughts. These are passed to the National and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (NDMA and PDMA), which then coordinate with district administrations to implement safety measures. The provincial irrigation department tracks river and stream flows, issuing immediate alerts when water levels approach danger.
Plans are also underway to launch a unified early warning dashboard, a digital dashboard showing real time data from glacier and flood monitoring stations. This will allow authorities to instantly share critical information with communities, ensuring faster evacuations and better coordination.
The reality is stark, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s government is waging two existential battles, terrorism and climate change. The first is visible, immediate, and headline-grabbing. The second is slower, often invisible, but potentially more destructive over the long term.
Unfortunately, the fight against climate change often takes a back seat when resources are limited. Security operations consume the lion’s share of the budget, leaving climate resilience projects underfunded. Yet, the costs of inaction are far greater. Recent history has shown us that a single climate disaster can erase years of development gains.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s fight against climate change must be comprehensive. Beyond early warning systems, the province needs investment in resilient infrastructure in which roads, bridges, and buildings can withstand extreme weather. Strengthen of local disaster response capacity, training communities to act quickly and effectively when warnings are issued also needs immediate attention. Focus should also be laid on protecting natural buffers, forests, wetlands, and watersheds that reduce flood risks. Climate education should become part of national agenda to ensure people understand the risks and the steps they can take to protect themselves.
The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have shown extraordinary resilience in the face of terrorism. They deserve the same urgency and commitment in the face of climate change. As the province builds its defenses, it is essential that local authorities, national policymakers, and international partners recognize the stakes. Because in the end, this is not a battle we can fight halfway. We cannot afford to win the war on terror while losing the war on climate. In KP, victory must mean safety from both the bullets and the floods.
The Author is Barrister and advisor to KP Chief Minister on Information & Public Relations.
