Najam on Pakistan’s Climate Vulnerability: “Every Country Is Now a Victim”
Professor Adil Najam, Dean Emeritus at Boston University’s Pardee School of Global Studies, weighed in on the latest Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2025 report, which ranked Pakistan as the most climate-affected country in 2022. The report, released by the European think tank Germanwatch, attributes Pakistan’s ranking to the devastating 2022 floods, which displaced over 8 million people, caused $30 billion in damages, and were worsened by record monsoon rains and extreme heat waves.
Najam emphasized that climate change is no longer a future threat but a present reality affecting every country. While Pakistan topped the rankings for 2022, he pointed out that in the long-term index (1993-2022), Pakistan ranked 56th, reinforcing the fact that climate risks are now global and inescapable. He warned that playing the victim card is not a strategy, calling on both developing and high-emission nations to take greater responsibility for climate mitigation and adaptation.
One of Najam’s key concerns was the rising threat of extreme heat, which he highlighted as the deadliest climate-related hazard. Even in 2022 – the year of Pakistan’s catastrophic floods – heatwaves remained the leading cause of climate-related deaths. With heatwaves now becoming the “fifth season” in cities like Karachi, he urged greater focus on urban heat resilience to make cities more livable amid rising global temperatures.
Najam also addressed the global inaction on climate change, criticizing developed nations for failing to provide adequate funding for adaptation and loss and damage efforts in vulnerable countries. While he acknowledged Pakistan’s progress in disaster risk reduction, he stressed that no amount of preparedness will be enough without aggressive emissions cuts from major polluters.
As climate disasters intensify worldwide, Najam warned that Pakistan is not an exception, but a case study of what is to come globally. He called for stronger resilience strategies and more ambitious global climate policies, emphasizing that no country is immune – climate change is the new normal.
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