Despite the grim realities, women are not just victims of climate change – they are emerging as key players in fighting it. Across Pakistan, local female-led environmental initiatives are taking root.
By Rani Andaleeb
In a sweltering hospital ward in Peshawar, 75-year-old Zulekha Bibi lies hooked to oxygen, her frail body overwhelmed by the summer’s relentless heat. “With the changing weather, its intensity has also increased. The heat has become so unbearable that at times, it’s difficult to even breathe,” she gasps. “We didn’t have electricity 60 years ago, but life was bearable. Now, even with fans and air conditioners, we cannot survive.”
Zulekha’s story mirrors that of thousands of elderly and vulnerable individuals across Pakistan, who now find themselves at the mercy of an increasingly hostile climate. Her words are not just a lament – they are a warning. As global temperatures continue to rise, it is the weakest – women, children, the elderly, and the poor – who are paying the highest price.
Climate Change and Gender: A Dangerous Intersection
In 2022, the Government of Pakistan officially acknowledged in its Gender and Climate Change Action Plan that women suffer disproportionately from climate-related disasters. The acknowledgment is supported by harrowing accounts and data: women face greater challenges during floods, suffer more from displacement, and endure higher health risks due to social, economic, and biological vulnerabilities.
Seema, a survivor of the devastating 2010 floods in Nowshera, now lives in Peshawar. “Women in our society don’t know how to swim or climb trees. These are basic survival skills,” she says. “We weren’t taught them because we weren’t allowed. During the floods, many women were trapped. Weak rooftops collapsed. Elderly people couldn’t be moved. It was chaos.”
Khalida Niaz, an award-winning journalist and climate change reporter from Peshawar, points out that rural women are often completely unprepared for emergencies. “In times of disaster, societal norms delay women’s evacuation. The pressure to maintain purdah (veiling), cultural restrictions, and lack of training often prove fatal.”
Indeed, displacement statistics paint a stark picture: nearly 70 per cent of those displaced by environmental disasters in Pakistan are women. For many of them, this translates into limited access to hygiene, clean drinking water, food, and healthcare – particularly dangerous for pregnant women and those with chronic health conditions.
Health Risks Multiply for Women and the Elderly
Professor Dr. Bushra Khalil, a nutritionist at Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital, explains that climate change exacerbates women’s health challenges significantly. “During menstruation, pregnancy, or breastfeeding, a woman’s body has specific nutritional needs. But with reduced access to fruits, vegetables, and essential nutrients due to rising costs and reduced agricultural yield, many women are becoming severely anaemic and immunocompromised.”
She adds that elderly women like Zulekha Bibi are among the most vulnerable. “They already have weakened immune systems. Add in rising air pollution, heatwaves, toxic gases, and food insecurity, and it becomes a matter of life and death.”
The situation is especially dire in urban centres like Peshawar, where air quality has plummeted due to traffic emissions, unregulated construction, and deforestation. Skin conditions, respiratory diseases, and asthma have all seen a surge, with women disproportionately affected due to prolonged indoor exposure and limited access to healthcare.
Disaster Management: Is Pak Doing Enough?
Recognizing the intensifying climate risks, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has taken steps to mitigate disaster impact. PDMA Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah says that the Monsoon Contingency Plan 2025 targets 11 high-risk districts with preventive measures like embankment inspections, drainage improvements, and emergency relief stockpiling.
“We’ve also created a dedicated dewatering unit in Peshawar and are taking strong action against illegal construction, which worsens climate impacts,” he notes. “Our helpline 1800 is active round the clock.”
Still, these initiatives, while essential, do not yet reflect the gender-sensitive approach experts say is crucial.
According to Khalida Niaz, “If climate action plans ignore women’s specific needs, they fail. Disaster response must consider hygiene kits for women, prenatal care, safe shelters for pregnant mothers, and training programs that empower women with survival skills.”
The Bigger Picture: From Deforestation to Food Insecurity
Dr. Akmal Khan, former Director of the Climate Change Center, points out that Pakistan’s climate crisis is deeply tied to erratic rainfall, shortened winters, and scorching summers. “We’re seeing rainfall when we don’t need it, and droughts when crops are parched. This is destroying our agriculture, and a food security crisis is looming.”
He warns that women, in particular, will face the worst consequences. “In many families, women eat last. If there’s not enough food, they go hungry. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are already showing signs of malnutrition.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Asif Khan, an environmental scientist at the University of Peshawar, advocates for afforestation and a serious commitment to cutting emissions. “Forests in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can absorb up to 50 per cent of Pakistan’s carbon emissions. But they’re vanishing. Deforestation must stop. We need more green cover, more solar energy adoption, and smarter city planning.”
Climate Justice is Gender Justice
Despite the grim realities, women are not just victims of climate change – they are emerging as key players in fighting it. Across Pakistan, local female-led environmental initiatives are taking root: from tree planting drives to awareness campaigns and community disaster preparedness training.
“These grassroots efforts need government support,” says Khalida Niaz. “Women must be included in climate policymaking and planning. Only then can we ensure real, lasting resilience.”
As Pakistan confronts rising temperatures, erratic weather, and the growing cost of inaction, one thing is clear: climate change is not just an environmental issue – it’s a social justice crisis.
The burden it places on the poor, the elderly, and especially women is immense. Policymakers, health professionals, disaster management authorities, and community leaders must collaborate on strategies that prioritize the most vulnerable.
Because in the words of Khalida Niaz, “Until climate policies reflect the realities of our most affected, we will continue to lose lives that could have been saved.”
