Elite Capture and Pakistan’s Climate Crisis
“Climate change is a threat multiplier, especially for the poor and vulnerable. It is not just an environmental issue; it is a matter of justice.” — Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary-General
It is fair to say that when the powerful refuse to change, it is always the powerless who pay the price. In this chaotic world, the cost in human lives no longer matters. An elite-captured society and a capitalism-centric economic system treat poor people as disposable, as though they have no right to live. Everyone knows how capitalism evolved: a few wealthy individuals came to dominate the majority. Inequality is rising, and poor and middle-class families can no longer meet their children’s basic needs.
Undoubtedly, the elite class dominates every sector—economic, political, religious, and social—while underprivileged people live in meager conditions and are excluded from meaningful participation. Pakistan is a case in point. We live in an era where the rich enjoy complete impunity while the poor are deprived. The recent incident in Swat is a stark reminder: a hapless family burned to death because disaster management was unprepared and leadership was inept.
One must wonder: helicopters arrive immediately to protect VIPs, so why are ordinary citizens deprived? During the Pakistan Super League, helicopters hover overhead. If any politician or VIP needs a lift, one is dispatched at once. When the sister of former prime minister Imran Khan was stranded, a helicopter arrived swiftly. Why has our government always failed to provide essential services to the masses?
This weak social contract between citizens and the state only breeds polarization, deprivation, chaos, and radicalization. Meanwhile, climate change poses an existential threat to humanity. Despite urgent warnings and ongoing climate disasters in Pakistan, why has the government not strengthened disaster response systems or accelerated the national action plan to mitigate these crises?
Mainstream media pushes the narrative that terrorism is Pakistan’s greatest threat. Yet these channels rarely highlight the devastating effects of climate change. The World Health Organization estimates that climate-linked factors contribute to 50,000 deaths each year in Pakistan. Between 2010 and 2022, more than 138,000 deaths were directly or indirectly attributed to climate impacts—making climate change a non-traditional security threat that now surpasses terrorism.
Pakistan hosts the largest glaciers outside the Polar Regions, which are rapidly melting and causing floods, landslides, and water-security issues. So why is the government unwilling to challenge elites and reform critical sectors? Oligarchies build illegal constructions along riverbanks, deforestation is accelerating, and harmful activities in the northern areas directly endanger lives. The Swat fire was not an isolated tragedy but one consequence of elite dominance and governmental failure to prepare for disasters.
When floods swept the region, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s authorities failed to alert tourists in time. Outdated infrastructure, lack of basic facilities, and missing early-warning systems exposed the government’s vulnerability. The image of families drowning haunts me still: trapped and calling for help, only to receive a pathetic official response. Despite rescue failures, elite-controlled provincial authorities focused on damage control—issuing suspensions and launching inquiries only after public outrage.
A handful of wealthy families dominate Pakistan’s political sphere. They resist policies that might harm their interests, leaving the poor to bear the brunt of climate disasters. Recent floods, heat waves, droughts, and monsoons caused billions in losses, yet the government remains indifferent to necessary reforms that would safeguard vulnerable communities.
Elites in Pakistan undermine climate-resilient policies in several ways. Powerful timber mafias convert forest land for commercial projects, reducing carbon sequestration and increasing flood risk; according to FAO data, Pakistan loses around 27,000 hectares of forest per year. Meanwhile, fossil-fuel interests lobby against renewable energy, pressuring the government to approve coal and gas projects that perpetuate pollution and climate vulnerability.
Pakistan’s future is bleak unless the government acts decisively against environmental perpetrators and enacts climate-resilient policies. Leaders must recognize that the multiplier effects of climate change threaten every sector. Even if the economy improves, it will be a hollow victory without climate at the center of policymaking. Either we act now, or we will regret our inaction forever.
Uroosa Khan
The author is an independent researcher having keen interest in foreign policy, geopolitics, and international relations.
