Pakistan is urbanizing at an unprecedented pace. The 2023 SDPI national policy paper on urban climate resilience notes that over 38% of the population now lives in urban areas, a figure projected to rise significantly by 2025. Cities like Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar are expanding rapidly, driven by economic aspirations and climate-induced rural migration. However, this growth is largely unplanned and haphazard, pushing people and infrastructure into increasingly vulnerable zones.
This accelerated urbanization intersects with worsening climate stressors. The SDPI report highlights that in 2022 alone, the country faced catastrophic spring heatwaves with record-breaking temperatures exceeding 47°C in cities like Jacobabad. These heatwaves skipped the spring season altogether, bringing drought-like conditions and affecting wheat and mango production by 20%. In Gilgit Baltistan, glacial melt triggered a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) that wiped out crucial infrastructure like the Hussaini bridge. In 2025, the country is again in the grip of extreme weather events. Recent media coverage shows that Sindh recorded over 568 deaths during another intense heatwave, while in Punjab, nearly 180 lives were lost due to monsoon-triggered urban flooding. Lahore, Islamabad, and other cities reported rainfall well above historical averages, overwhelming drainage systems and exposing the limitations of current infrastructure.
The SDPI report identifies that cities like Lahore have lost up to 70% of their green cover since 2010. Urban heat island effects are now evident even in Islamabad, once considered cooler than surrounding regions. The cutting of trees for housing and commercial development has raised average urban temperatures and severely worsened air quality. Researchers have recorded a consistent increase in annual mean temperature, with Quetta and Karachi showing the sharpest rise. Simultaneously, rainfall trends are erratic—Peshawar, Islamabad, and Lahore are seeing more rain than before, while Karachi and Muzaffarabad experience declining precipitation.
While climate change is global, its consequences are deeply local. The SDPI report explains how the urban poor in Pakistan are disproportionately affected. Slums or katchi abadis are growing rapidly, often in unsafe, unregulated, and disaster-prone areas. In these communities, residents live without access to clean water, sanitation, or cooling systems. Women and girls face heightened risks. A study by UN Women cited in the report finds that women in urban slums lack access to healthcare, are more likely to be out of school, and are excluded from most social protection programs. Informal housing is built with substandard materials, lacks thermal insulation, and does not comply with any building codes. This is not just an environmental issue; it is a social justice emergency.
The floods of 2022 caused damage worth over PKR 4.7 trillion, according to the SDPI report. An estimated 33 million people were affected nationwide, making it one of the worst climate disasters in Pakistan’s history. Media reports further indicate that reconstruction needs from these floods exceeded $16 billion, but actual recovery efforts remain underfunded and delayed. Despite promises made during international donor conferences, the funding has been slow to reach the communities most in need.
Pakistan has made some commendable policy efforts. The SDPI report notes progress on the National Climate Change Policy, the Climate Change Act, and the updated Building Code of Pakistan. Programs such as the Benazir Income Support Programme and the Ehsaas Kafalat initiative have helped cushion some of the social impacts of climate shocks. However, implementation remains patchy and inconsistent. According to the report, there is no unified urban planning policy, and city master plans where they exist often ignore resilience principles. The example of Islamabad’s master plan illustrates the problem. Originally designed as a model city, it has now expanded in unsustainable ways. From 1979 to 2019, Islamabad’s built-up area increased nearly five-fold, while forest cover fell by almost 50%, and water bodies declined significantly.
While some local initiatives offer hope—such as community rainwater harvesting projects in Islamabad-Rawalpindi or the urban forest project in Karachi—these remain isolated and underfunded. The report also points out that most municipal authorities lack the capacity and resources to implement even the most basic disaster risk reduction strategies. Canal officers, mandated under floodplain laws to regulate construction along rivers, remain unappointed in most cities. Building code compliance is virtually non-existent in low-income urban areas, and enforcement is weak even in elite neighbourhoods.
The economic impact of climate-induced urban disruption is vast. The SDPI report estimates that climate change costs Pakistan around $38 billion annually in economic losses. With over 72% of the workforce employed in the informal sector mostly in agriculture, transport, and small industries climate events like floods, heatwaves, and droughts result in large-scale unemployment and further urban migration. This cycle deepens poverty, stretches public services, and increases inequality.
Equally troubling is Pakistan’s climate finance gap. According to the report, the country requires more than $216 billion annually by 2030 to meet its adaptation and mitigation goals. Domestic budget allocations remain low, and international financing, while promised, has been slow and insufficient. The SDPI argues for urgent reform of climate finance mechanisms and better access to global funding, especially under the loss and damage framework. Local governments must also be empowered with dedicated urban climate funds to implement adaptation plans tailored to their unique risks.
In summary, Pakistan’s urban climate resilience crisis is not just about rising temperatures or melting glaciers. It is a multidimensional challenge that affects how cities are built, how resources are allocated, and how justice is delivered to the most vulnerable. Without strong political will, robust implementation, and inclusive planning, the country’s urban centres risk becoming epicenters of displacement, disease, and disaster. As the SDPI policy paper stresses, climate resilience is no longer optional it is the only viable path to a livable urban future.
