Despite increasingly dire climate consequences, the Pakistani government has yet to implement sufficient or sustained policies to mitigate environmental degradation or support its most vulnerable populations. Although Pakistan has articulated ambitious targets under its nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement, its actions often fall short of matching these goals. The country remains among the top 30 global emitters of carbon dioxide, releasing 200 million tons of CO₂ in 2022 alone, with emissions continuing to trend upward. This reflects both a systemic underfunding of climate adaptation initiatives and a continued reliance on fossil fuels, as well as a lack of enforcement of international agreements meant to curb emissions.
The consequences of climate inaction have been catastrophic. While all Pakistanis face exposure to climate-related disasters, women and girls—particularly those who menstruate—bear a disproportionate share of the burden. The 2021 floods displaced hundreds of thousands, while the 2022 monsoon floods, intensified by global warming, affected more than 33 million people. Among them were 650,000 pregnant women who lost access to essential healthcare, many forced to give birth without medical assistance or sanitary conditions. A staggering 8 million individuals were left without menstrual hygiene products or even toilets, stripping them of the means to manage menstruation with dignity.
Climate disasters have also disrupted food systems, especially in rural and agrarian regions. The resulting malnutrition exacerbates the challenges menstruators face, as adequate nutrition is essential to regulate menstrual cycles and maintain reproductive health. Research suggests that menstruation demands significant energy and nutrient intake; in its absence, growth can be stunted, and the onset of menstruation delayed. While the global average age of menarche is 12, in Pakistan it tends to occur later, often between ages 12 and 16, reflecting the dual burden of food insecurity and environmental exposure.
These delays and disruptions are not merely biological inconveniences—they carry long-term health consequences. Climate-induced menstrual irregularities have been linked to heightened risks of infertility, depression, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. This growing health crisis underscores the extent to which environmental stressors can reproduce cycles of gendered vulnerability.
In contexts of extreme scarcity, societal desperation often gives rise to further injustices. In climate-vulnerable regions of Pakistan and beyond, there is a documented rise in child marriages—young girls exchanged for food or resources in order to alleviate family hunger. Though such practices are condemned globally, they resurface in moments of crisis, revealing the intersection of climate instability and entrenched gender inequality. These forms of gender-based violence are compounded by the absence of institutional protections during and after environmental disasters.
The scientific community has drawn a direct line between anthropogenic climate change and these worsening conditions. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II—tasked with assessing climate change’s impacts, vulnerabilities, and adaptation—has reported with high levels of evidence and confidence that the glacial melting and unprecedented flooding observed in Pakistan are attributable to rising global temperatures. These climatic shifts not only bring extreme weather, but also environmental contamination: floods and droughts disturb landfills, industrial zones, and agricultural soils, triggering the release of toxins such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, and other chemicals. Contact with such substances—including flame retardants and heavy metals like lead—has been scientifically linked to delayed puberty and menstrual onset. These impacts are reflected in self-reported menarche among Pakistani girls: over 80% of respondents were between the ages of 12 and 16 upon starting their period.
The inequity of climate change is thus twofold: it is an environmental emergency and a social justice crisis. Yet Pakistan’s policy priorities often fail to reflect this dual urgency. Military spending remains one of the country’s largest budget items, consistently outpacing allocations to climate resilience or public health. Although Pakistan has appealed for international aid—highlighting its disproportionate vulnerability despite contributing less than 1% of historic emissions — its domestic expenditures reveal a misalignment with its own rhetoric.Redirecting funds from militarization or fossil fuel subsidies toward green infrastructure, healthcare access, and gender-sensitive adaptation policies is not merely advisable, it is necessary.
As emphasized by the IPCC Working Group II, which assesses climate impacts and regional vulnerabilities, no nation can adapt to climate change in isolation. Pakistan’s climate response must be integrated into broader global frameworks. This includes advocating for more equitable disbursement under United Nations climate finance mechanisms, increased participation in the Green Climate Fund, and engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to restructure debt in exchange for environmental investment. At a regional level, Pakistan would also benefit from deeper cooperation with other South Asian states facing similar challenges. Multilateral platforms could help harmonize climate adaptation strategies, especially around shared river systems, agricultural resilience, and migration preparedness.
The stakes of climate inaction are no longer abstract. They are embedded in the lives of girls who miss school because of a lack of pads, in the hospitals overwhelmed during floods, and in the communities forced to barter away their daughters for survival. Confronting this reality demands a transformation not only in policy but in priorities—placing health, gender equity, and sustainability at the heart of Pakistan’s climate agenda.
Featured/Headline Image Caption and Citation: Emergency Flood Response in Pakistan, Image sourced from Flickr | CC License, no changes made