Title

Karachi Monsoon Crisis 2025: A City Submerged Under Historic Rains

Blog Post

When the skies over  unleashed their fury in August 2025, the city – home to over 20 million people – found itself at a standstill.

Until late Tuesday, August 19, Karachi’s

infrastructure struggled against a deluge unlike any in decades. With rainfall reaching from 80 mm to 178 mm in just one day, entire neighbourhoods such as Gulshan‑e‑Hadeed (170 mm), Airport Old Area (158.5 mm), and Nazimabad (149.6 mm) were overwhelmed .

Mayor Murtaza Wahab confirmed

that the city’s drainage system, designed for just 40 mm, failed spectacularly . Many residents were rescued from waist‑deep or higher floodwaters; cars floated down major roads; power, mobile, and internet services went dark .

At least 10–12 lives were lost

—in electrocutions, drownings, wall collapses—while schools and offices shut down. On Wednesday, August 20, a public holiday was announced across Karachi to ease the burden on citizens .

Compounding matters, Karachi floods 

flash floods and cloudbursts across northern regions—including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, and Gilgit-Baltistan—have claimed over 700 lives nationwide since June 26 .

Why This Disaster Hit So Hard Karachi floods 

1. Aging, overwhelmed infrastructure

 drains failed to channel a flood of water far beyond their capacity—resulting in waterlogging citywide .

2. Sudden, intense rainfall

Cloudbursts in the north brought flash floods that struck “in seconds,” exacerbating overall national devastation .

3. Governance lagging behind karachi

climate realities
Officials, including Mayor Wahab, cited climate change and outdated planning as key contributing factors .

4. Recurring vulnerability

has been hit by urban flooding repeatedly over recent years, with inadequate long‑term planning—lack of drainage cleaning, clogged waste systems, rampant construction in flood-prone areas—making each event worse .

Looking Ahead: karachi

What It Could Mean

urgently needs sponge city-style solutions—more permeable surfaces, green areas, constructed wetlands—to cope with future floods .

Integrating early warning systems through NDMA’s Disaster Alert App, clearing nullahs and drains, removing encroachments, and implementing long-term drainage upgrades are vital .

Given that monsoon rains are

forecast to persist into mid‑September , preparedness remains essential both in  and across Pakistan.

http://link to another blog about climate resilience in Pakistani cities

This is a moment for to rethink how it adapts to climate realities—and for planners, officials, and citizens to push for resilient, long-term solutions.

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