By Sardar Khan Niazi

In the last few years, food prices in Pakistan have surged to unprecedented levels, and while inflation is often blamed on the usual culprits–global economic slowdowns, policy missteps, or currency devaluation–there is a far more urgent and less discussed factor at play: climate change. The term climateflation has recently emerged to describe the intersection of rising food costs and extreme weather events, both of which have become increasingly intertwined in this age of environmental instability. As floods, droughts, and unpredictable temperatures ravage agricultural areas, Pakistan’s food supply chain has been put under immense pressure. The recent devastating floods in Sindh, Baluchistan, and Punjab laid bare the fragility of our agricultural infrastructure. Millions of acres of crops were lost, livestock drowned, and rural communities displaced. Yet, the true cost of these events is not just in the immediate human and environmental toll–they will also continue to escalate the price of food for years to come. Pakistan’s food security has always been vulnerable, but climate change has supercharged this vulnerability. Unpredictable rainfall patterns, rising temperatures, and long periods of drought are affecting crop yields across the country. Wheat, maize, and rice–staples of the Pakistani diet–are increasingly at risk. According to reports from the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events have increased significantly in the last decade. This trend shows no signs of slowing; meaning that food production in the country will remain under threat. The consequences of climate-driven price hikes are already being felt. A recent survey by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) revealed that food inflation, particularly in the categories of vegetables, pulses, and dairy products, has skyrocketed in recent months. A 10-15% increase in staple prices might seem trivial to some, but for many Pakistanis already living on the edge of poverty,........

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