ISLAMABAD: Climate experts have warned that if El Nino conditions strengthen further, 2027 could rank among the hottest years in Pakistan’s history, raising concerns over increasingly severe weather events driven by climate change.
Experts say climate change is no longer a distant threat for Pakistan, as its impacts are already being felt across the country. Intense heatwaves, record-breaking temperatures, sudden torrential rains, devastating floods, and the rapid melting of glaciers are all signs of a rapidly changing climate.
According to climate specialists, a stronger El Niño phenomenon could significantly increase global and regional temperatures, placing Pakistan at heightened risk of extreme weather conditions throughout 2027.
They also noted that rising ocean temperatures and the continuous loss of polar and glacial ice worldwide are clear indicators of an escalating global climate crisis.
In response to the growing risks, Pakistan has launched several national climate adaptation and disaster preparedness measures.
These include the installation of early warning systems for natural disasters, the development of urban and rural heatwave response strategies, emergency flood relief and drainage plans, and the monitoring of glacial lakes in northern regions to reduce the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).
Despite these initiatives, meteorological experts believe the current level of preparedness remains insufficient given the scale of the threat.
They have urged authorities to adopt more comprehensive, long-term climate resilience policies and accelerate efforts to strengthen disaster risk management across the country.
Read also: PMD forecasts widespread rain across KP over next six hours
