Pakistan Underwater: A Tumultous Summer of Floods and Rising Uncertainties over the Indus

Pakistan Underwater: A Tumultous Summer of Floods and Rising Uncertainties over the Indus

Pakistan has been battling severe monsoon flooding this year, enduring almost constant flooding since June. The devastation has been calamitous. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), since the rains began on 26 June, 998 deaths have been reported. Torrential rains and riverine flooding wreaked havoc across the country’s agricultural heartland: over 4,700 villages…

Episode 272: The Indus at Risk: Floods, Fragility and the Future of the Water Security in Pakistan with Dr. Erum Sattar

Pakistan is once again underwater. In the country’s north—specifically the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—torrential monsoon rains dropped 150 millimeters in under an hour. That’s six inches of rain, fast enough to overwhelm any drainage system. But here, it didn’t just flood streets—it destroyed entire communities. At least 700 people are dead. Over 100 are missing….

Dr Erum Sattar

Dr Erum Sattar

Dr Erum K. Sattar LLB, LLM, SJD, is a Lecturer and Former Program Director of the Sustainable Water Management program at the Institute of the Enviornment at Tufts University. She has degrees from Harvard Law School, Queen Mary University and the University of London. Dr. Sattar is a Member of the Bar of England and…

Rivers in Peril: The Collapse of the Indus Water Treaty and the Future of South Asia’s Water Security

Rivers in Peril: The Collapse of the Indus Water Treaty and the Future of South Asia’s Water Security

“‘The cancellation or what you call the abeyance of the Indus Water treaty is not anything which is practical but it is very political; it is politically dividing these two countries and creating huge mistrust. Just in May, these two countries were on the verge of nuclear war so anything can happen”. Ashok Swain, Episode…

Episode 268: Implications of the Suspension of the Indus Water Treaty

When we think about flashpoints between India and Pakistan, most people picture borders, bombs, or Kashmir. But the most strategic weapon in South Asia today may not be nuclear—it’s water. The Indus Water Treaty has been called one of the world’s most successful peace agreements, surviving wars, nuclear standoffs, and decades of political hostility. But…

Ashok Swain

Ashok Swain

Ashok Swain is the UNESCO Chair on International Water Cooperation, Professor and Head of Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University, Sweden. Professor Swain is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed journal, Environment and Security, published by Sage. Over his career he has authored and edited 20 books and more than 150 journal…

Episode 97: Syed Wajid on the Floods in Pakistan

In this episode, Dominic Bowen speaks with Syed Wajid, a humanitarian with more than 30 years experience with emergency and humanitarian response activities, supporting people affected by natural and man-made disasters in Pakistan. Pakistan is a country rich in cultural and political history, and also humanitarian crises Pakistan has a history of facing a variety…

Episode 92: Danish Ali Bhutto on the Pakistan Floods

In this episode, Dominic speaks to Danish Ali Bhutto, speech writer for the Pakistani parliament, writing in an effort to make all voices heard, on the risks associated with the natural disasters happening as a result of the Pakistan floods. Danish has vast experience in fighting for equality in various volunteering positions focusing on women…