Karachi Climate Festival
The Arts Council of Pakistan hosted the fourth Karachi Climate Festival on Thursday in observance of World Environment Day, bringing together experts, activists, and media professionals to raise awareness about the pressing climate challenges facing Pakistan’s largest city.
The event opened with a sobering reminder that Pakistan continues to rank among the most climate-vulnerable countries globally, as reflected in the Climate Risk Index 2025.
The festival featured a panel discussion moderated by noted environmentalist Afia Salam, and included prominent voices such as urban planner Muhammad Toheed, journalist Munazza Siddiqui, public health expert Mahapara Khan, environmentalist Yasir Khan, and Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum’s General Secretary Saeed Baloch.
Urban planner Muhammad Toheed highlighted Karachi’s alarming environmental trends, emphasizing that the city is grappling with rapidly rising temperatures and urban flooding.
Citing a long-term study conducted by the Karachi Urban Lab, he said that the average daytime temperature has increased by 1.6°C, while nighttime temperatures have risen by 2.4°C over the past six decades based on data from the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
Public health expert Mahapara Khan drew attention to the growing health risks linked to climate change, including waterborne diseases, heat-related illnesses, and respiratory conditions caused by vehicular emissions and unchecked industrial fuel burning.
She noted that ailments such as dengue, diarrhea, pneumonia, polio, lung disease, and cardiovascular disorders are becoming increasingly common due to environmental degradation and rising heat levels.
Moderator Afia Salam elaborated further, pointing out how higher temperatures have allowed dengue mosquitoes to breed in areas where they previously could not survive, thus leading to more frequent outbreaks in Karachi.
Senior journalist Munazza Siddiqui focused on the media’s role in climate communication, acknowledging that climate reporting remains limited in mainstream news coverage.
However, she rejected the notion that the media is entirely absent on this front. She revealed that government interference plays a role in underreporting heatstroke-related deaths. Hospitals, she explained, are often instructed by officials to record such deaths under other causes to avoid public backlash and preserve the government’s image.
Yasir Hussain, head of the Climate Action Centre Karachi, stressed the urgent need for public access to climate data and increased awareness. He called on the government to fund and facilitate community-led adaptation programs, particularly in urban and rural areas most susceptible to the adverse effects of climate change.
Closing the discussion, Saeed Baloch from the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum highlighted the fragile condition of coastal communities, which face the dual threat of climate change and environmental neglect. He condemned the ongoing dumping of untreated industrial wastewater into the Arabian Sea, warning that it severely damages marine ecosystems and threatens the livelihoods of thousands of fisherfolk who depend on the sea for survival.
Overall, the Karachi Climate Festival served as a powerful call to action, demanding immediate and stringent climate policies to mitigate the environmental, health, and economic impacts of a rapidly changing climate.
