A hotter monsoon

Pakistan's changing climate is steadily eroding the predictability of seasons on which millions depend for their livelihoods. PMD's finding that the country experienced its hottest monsoon in 66 years, with an average temperature of 30.7°C, is another indication of this unsettling shift. More concerning is the fact that the record heat coincided with widespread rainfall deficits, including a staggering 51% shortfall in Sindh.

The monsoon has traditionally provided much-needed relief from the summer heat while replenishing water supplies essential for agriculture. Its growing unpredictability now threatens both functions. Higher temperatures accelerate the loss of moisture from soil and increase the demand for irrigation at precisely the time when reduced rainfall limits available water. The burden falls particularly heavily on small farmers, whose livelihoods depend on seasonal patterns that are becoming increasingly unreliable. In Sindh, where agricultural communities already contend with unequal water distribution and inadequate irrigation infrastructure, a deficient monsoon can deepen existing hardships. Yet Pakistan's response to climatic extremes continues to be dictated largely by the immediate threat of flooding. Water shortages receive comparatively less attention until reservoirs begin to decline and farmers face difficulties sustaining their crops. There is an urgent need to reconsider how the country manages its limited water resources. Greater attention must be paid to reducing losses in the irrigation system and ensuring that agricultural planning reflects changing rainfall patterns. Provincial governments, particularly Sindh's, must also address the vulnerabilities of communities that have little capacity to withstand successive seasons of climatic stress. Such measures require sustained investment and administrative commitment.

Climate change is no longer a distant environmental concern whose effects can be addressed at some convenient point in the future. It is already altering the conditions under which Pakistan produces food and sustains its population. The greater failure would be to continue planning for a climate that no longer exists.