As the monsoon get started in pakistan from July to September. In 2025 Monsoon has been stronger than usual. With continuous heavy rain rivers were overwhelmed. In Buner (KPK) and Diamer (GB) heavy rainfall caused flash floods that swept away entire villages, bridges and Vehicles.
Gilgit Baltistan and KPK have thousands of glaciers are melting faster, creating unstable lakes of meltwater.
Pakistan is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. Rising global temperature results in Stronger and longer monsoon rains and Faster glacier melting in the north.
Mid-August 2025: KP experienced catastrophic flash floods across mountainous districts including Buner, Swat, Bajaur, Battagram, Mansehra, Shangla, and Abbottabad. These were triggered by heavy monsoon rains and sudden cloudbursts.
Casualties and Damage:
• KP saw over 210 deaths, including 90 in Buner alone.
• A rescue helicopter crash killed five crew members trying to reach flood-affected zones.
• In GB, at least 12 people died, especially in Ghizer where infrastructure like bridges and farmland were washed away.
July 2025 brought flash floods and landslides to both regions:
• In GB, a catastrophic cloudburst near Babusar Top (Diamer) killed at least 18 people, including tourists; vehicles were swept away and key roads blocked.
• Authorities issued glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) alerts across GB and upper KP due to rising temperatures and heavy rains.
Nationally, monsoon flooding has been devastating:
• By mid-August, floods across Pakistan had caused over 700 deaths, including around 358 fatalities in KP and dozens in GB.
• In Buner alone, hundreds died or went missing after a
sudden cloudburst.
Role of Government
The Army has taken a central role, deploying infantry, engineering, medical and aviation units. Aviation units conduct aerial sorties to evacuate residents and deliver essentials. Over 6,900 people rescued and 6,300 treated in medical camps.
Rescue teams include Rescue 1122, PDMA, NDMA, and local volunteers. Heavy machinery and boats are used in remote areas.
Hundreds of roads (e.g., Buner–Besham Road, Baltistan Highway) have been promptly restored. Up to 70% of electricity supply has been reinstated.
Around 89 trucks of supplies—tents, mattresses, hygiene kits, blankets, kitchen sets, gas cylinders—have been sent. 289 medical camps set up, with thousands treated.
Strategic coordination
Control rooms established in KP: A dedicated control room monitors the situation 24/7, coordinating field offices and relief teams.
Emergency declarations and advisory orders: Emergency declared in numerous districts until August 31. NDMA issued advisories to limit tourism and restrict public movement in high-risk areas under Section 144.
Funding released:
• Rs 3 billion from KP government for rescue/recovery efforts.
• Additional allocations: Rs 500 million to Relief & PDMA, Rs 1.55 billion to Communications & Works for road restoration, and Rs 1 billion for Rescue & Relief.
According to citizens of GB:
While the government highlights rescue operations, aid convoys, and early warning projects, the citizens of Gilgit-Baltistan paint a very different picture. According to locals, no real aid has reached them. Entire communities stand ruined and forgotten, with families mourning losses and struggling to survive without basic necessities. Ay ky say they have lost the ability to smile, living with grief and uncertainty.
The recent floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan are more than just a natural disaster — they are a stark reminder of Pakistan’s growing vulnerability to climate change. While official reports emphasize relief and rescue operations, the voices from Gilgit-Baltistan reveal a harsher reality: a community left shattered, hopeless, and feeling orphaned in their own country.
