Prepared by: Bipika Poudyal, GRIT
On August 15, 2025, Pakistan’s Buner district, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, was met with a disastrous cloudburst, triggering flash floods and landslides, which killed 425 people and caused 267 further injuries. Among them, 217 deaths and 120 injuries were concentrated in Buner alone. A sudden heavy downpour of rain overwhelmed the landscapes, particularly steep terrains, sweeping away villages and destroying infrastructure. The absence of proper and effective early warning systems was evident in this event. This article is an analysis of the hydrometeorological drivers, impacts, context and policy implications of the 2025 flood in Buner, through a lens of climate risk evolution in Pakistan.
Hydrometeorological Drivers
In less than an hour, the Pakistan Meteorological Department recorded over 150 mm of rainfall. This excessive downpour resulted from a cloudburst, which is a meteorological phenomenon characterised by high-intensity rainfall over a localised area in a short time span (IFRC GO, 2025). Since the beginning of the monsoon season, which is marked by June 26, there has been 73% more rainfall than the seasonal average. This variability was induced by climate change, contributing to irregular patterns of precipitation. The traditional monsoon cycle has been disrupted by altered jet stream dynamics and increasing sea surface temperatures, leading to frequent extreme rainfall events in northern Pakistan (Al Arabiya, 2025). The steep terrain and deforested catchments of Buner exacerbated the catastrophic capacity of the cloudburst. The rapid runoff, sediment transport, and collapsed slopes captured by the satellite imagery aligned with the dynamics of a flash flood (Al Jazeera, 2025). Unplanned, haphazard urban growth and lack of vegetative buffers in flood-prone zones further intensified the hazard.
Human and Infrastructural Impacts
The event led to a disastrous human toll. In Pir Baba village, a family with 24 members died as floodwaters forced inside their house while celebrating a wedding (MSN News, 2025). Survivors recalled having very limited time to evacuate, considering the sudden and forceful movement of floodwaters. Alert systems that have traditionally been used for such events, including mosque loudspeakers, did not activate in time. This raised serious concerns regarding the protocols for disaster communications.
There were extensive damages to the infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and communication lines, in affected regions. This resulted in the isolation of communities and delayed rescue operations. Rescue efforts included emergency teams from the Pakistan Army and Rescue 1122. Airlifts were conducted through helicopters in inaccessible areas. Unfortunately, one of the relief helicopters crashed due to adverse weather, leading to the death of five individuals in Mohmand district. 41 electricity feeders were disrupted and went offline in Swat, requiring emergency repair crews (The News, 2025).
Historical Significance and Comparisons
In the monsoon of 2022, Pakistan suffered a similar flood that led to 1,700 deaths and the displacement of millions. This event was different because of the localised impact in Buner and the result of the dynamics of the cloudburst in the mountainous region. In 2022, the flood occurred from prolonged rainfall and overflow of riverine systems, whereas the 2025 disaster happened due to sudden, localised inundation within a short span of time. From this shift in the typology of the hazard, an evolution of the risk landscape in Pakistan can be suggested, where immediate floods and landslides may occur more frequently due to climate volatility and the pressures of land use.
Cloudbursts in northern Pakistan have increased in frequency over the last decade, as seen in recorded history. Similar cloudburst events were recorded in Chitral in 2015, Neelum Valley in 2019, and Swat in 2023. This Buner cloudburst of 2025, however, is the deadliest such disaster in history. Pakistan's hydrometeorological monitoring systems should be renewed to consider this disaster with more scrutiny. There should also be preparedness strategies at the community level to ensure proper evacuation and safety protocols in the event of future occurrences.
Mitigation and Preparedness Strategies
National Disaster Management Authority officials acknowledged that the current forecasting tools have limitations and highlighted the need for newer adaptive mechanisms and community-based alert systems. In light of recent events, Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik has called for the development of early warning systems that integrate AI-driven technologies. Similarly, they also advocated for the expansion of radar coverage in mountainous regions and investment in proper housing and drainage infrastructure that can handle such events (AI Arabiya, 2025).
It is critical that the current disaster management system of Pakistan reflect the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, particularly in matters of risk-informed development and anticipatory action. Awareness on flood risks in education systems, expansion of alert systems and enforcement of zoning regulations in hazard-prone areas are critical steps to strengthen long-term resilience. Policy experts advocate for local government empowerment for disaster response. They also emphasise that civil society organisations could be mobilised and trained beforehand so that they are capable of leading evacuation and relief efforts.
Conclusion
South Asia is seeing the complexity of hazards induced due to climate volatility. The 2025 Buner cloudburst is a testament to the increasing frequency and intensity of disasters. This flood highlighted the lack of effective forecasting, monitoring, and emergency response systems in Pakistan. As patterns of monsoon and other seasons become increasingly difficult to predict, there must be investment in adaptive technologies that support early warnings, hydrometeorology forecasts, and community resilience to mitigate risks.
References
- Al Arabiya. (2025, August 18). Explainer: Why Pakistan’s monsoon floods are becoming deadlier. https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2025/08/18/explainer-why-pakistan-s-monsoon-floods-are-becoming-deadlier
- Al Jazeera. (2025, August 19). Pakistan floods and cloudbursts visualised in maps and satellite images. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/19/pakistan-floods-and-cloudbursts-visualised-in-maps-and-satellite-images
- IFRC GO. (2025). Pakistan: Monsoon Floods - Emergency Response. https://go.ifrc.org/field-reports/17859
- MSN News. (2025, August 17). Pakistan resumes rescue operations in flood-hit areas as death toll exceeds 300. https://www.msn.com/en-my/news/other/pakistan-resumes-rescue-operations-in-flood-hit-areas-as-death-toll-exceeds-300/ar-AA1KIsln
- The News. (2025, August 18). 25 killed as floods, landslides batter Pakistan’s northern areas. https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1335962-at-killed-25-killed-as-floods-landslides-batter-pakistans-northern-areas