Rizwan Ahmed Ghilzai is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Climate Lens. A seasoned journalist with 14 years of experience, he brings deep newsroom expertise across politics, public affairs and current events. A gold medallist in Mass Communication, Rizwan has spent much of his career reporting and analysing some of Pakistan’s most important political developments. His growing interest in climate and environmental change helped shape The Climate Lens as a platform that treats climate not as a side issue, but as a central public-interest story.
As the Hindu Kush Himalaya warms nearly three times faster than the global average, communities in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa live with the growing risk of sudden, destructive glacial lake outburst floods.
The European Commission’s 2023–2025 GSP+ Monitoring Report acknowledges Pakistan’s progress on climate policy but raises concerns over weak implementation, provincial enforcement gaps, and rising environmental risks.
Islamabad and Rawalpindi’s rapid real-estate expansion has turned open land, vegetation and natural recharge zones into concrete. Research shows the twin cities are becoming hotter, more water-stressed and more flood-prone as built-up areas expand, groundwater falls and urban heat island effects intensify.
Flash floods are among the deadliest weather hazards in Pakistan, striking with almost no warning. From mountain hill torrents to flooded city underpasses, understanding how they form can help save lives.
Pakistan’s weather authorities have warned of an increased risk of glacial lake outburst floods, flash flooding and landslides in northern regions as unusually high temperatures accelerate snow and glacier melt.
Lawmakers and climate experts have raised concerns over reductions in Pakistan’s climate-related budget, warning that weaker investment in adaptation could leave communities more exposed to floods, heatwaves, water scarcity and other worsening environmental threats.
Once known for its green belts and cool foothills, Islamabad is losing tree cover to rapid, often unregulated expansion, creating pockets of intense heat that are reshaping daily life and public health in the capital.
