PAKISTAN enters another monsoon season with little room for complacency. Last year’s rains claimed more than 1,000 lives, affected millions of people and left behind widespread destruction as floods, flash floods and landslides swept across the country. Homes were destroyed, roads and bridges washed away, crops damaged and communities cut off. Gilgit-Baltistan endured glacial lake outburst floods, while Punjab, KP, Sindh and Balochistan suffered heavy losses from intense showers. The damage extended beyond infrastructure, disrupting livelihoods and increasing pressure on already stretched public resources. Yet, despite these recurring disasters, Pakistan continues to rely too heavily on emergency relief instead of sustained preparedness. This year, the risks are mounting. Rapid glacier melt has already triggered flooding in parts of GB. The Met Office has, meanwhile, forecast above-normal rainfall this monsoon, warning of landslides in the northern regions and urban flooding in major cities. It has also cautioned that strong winds could damage electricity infrastructure, solar panels, trees and billboards.

Against this backdrop, the prime minister’s review of monsoon preparedness is a welcome step. The decision to establish an Emergency Response Committee, hold weekly coordination meetings with the provinces, create an emergency relief fund, dispatch federal teams to all provinces, Azad Kashmir and GB, implement a flood mitigation roadmap, clear encroachments from flood pathways and mobilise all available administrative and technical resources reflects an awareness that disaster management cannot begin once floodwaters arrive. The additional allocation for major water infrastructure also acknowledges the need for longer-term investment. However, these decisions must be translated into action. Storm-water drains should be cleared before heavy rains begin, embankments and bridges inspected, rescue equipment and emergency shelters positioned in high-risk districts and early warning and evacuation systems put in place. Utility companies should inspect vulnerable transmission lines, local authorities should secure unstable billboards and hazardous trees and owners of rooftop solar systems should ensure mounting frames can withstand high winds. Local governments must be involved. Illegal construction on floodplains should be removed permanently. Pakistan cannot prevent every flood or landslide, but it can substantially reduce the loss of life and property if preparedness becomes a year-round priority rather than a seasonal exercise.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026