in the summer of 2022, the floodwaters came without warning. rivers overflowed, villages were submerged, and in a matter of days, thousands of lives were upended. pakistan, particularly the rural district of lasbela, became a symbol of climate injustice — one of the least polluting nations bearing the brunt of a crisis it did not create.

the flood didn’t just wash away homes; it washed away dreams. schools were destroyed, crops were ruined, and the vulnerability of our communities was laid bare. for years, the effects of climate change had been written off as a distant threat, a problem for the future. but as 27,000 schools lay in ruins and the catastrophic floods affected 33 million people across the country, the urgency of the crisis became undeniable.

amid the devastation, a new mission was born, not just to survive the floods, but to fight for a future that could withstand them. i was one of the volunteers who joined forces with the welfare association for a new generation (wang), a local organization in lasbela. wang is a youth-led nonprofit organization in balochistan, pakistan, dedicated to empowering communities and promoting sustainable development. focused on gender equality, environmental sustainability, and educational advancement, wang drives positive change through innovative projects and strategic partnerships.

by championing these causes, the organization plays a pivotal role in building a more equitable, resilient society in the region. our goal was simple yet overwhelming: to rescue, relieve, and rebuild. we organized fundraisers, secured donations, and distributed essential supplies like food, medicine, and shelter to those in desperate need. but it wasn’t just about material aid. we held engagement sessions with children, offering them a small sense of hope in the midst of chaos, reminding them that they hadn’t been forgotten.

the recovery process, however, revealed a deeper issue: the recurring cycle of poverty and loss. lasbela is a region where most families depend on agriculture and livestock for survival. a good harvest can mean the difference between sending a child to school or pulling them out to help at home. when floods wipe away crops, they also wipe away opportunities, pushing families further into poverty and children — especially girls — out of education.

as i worked with wang, the inequities of climate change became more apparent. though according to the intergovernmental panel on climate change (ipcc), pakistan contributes less than 1% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions,  it remains one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. the floodwaters were not just a natural disaster—they were the result of global systems that disproportionately harm countries like mine.

while rebuilding homes was critical, i realized that to break this cycle, we needed more than short-term solutions. in 2023, i was selected to participate in a climate adaptation bootcamp organized by the school of leadership foundation and unicef. this experience provided me with the tools and a grant to carry out a two-month research project titled “the impact of climate change-induced floods on girls’ primary education in lasbela.” over the course of my research, i visited flood-affected schools, gathered data, and met with local leaders to develop recommendations aimed at mitigating the impact of climate change on education.

what i found was heartbreaking but not surprising. many young girls had been pulled out of school permanently as families struggled to recover. in rural communities, education, especially for girls is often seen as a luxury, easily sacrificed in times of crisis. but education is key to breaking cycles of poverty and building resilience against climate disasters. without it, entire generations could be lost.

my research culminated in a series of policy recommendations, pushing for the integration of climate education in school curriculums and the need for more resilient infrastructure in vulnerable regions like lasbela. this experience opened my eyes to the larger systems at play, how gender, poverty, and climate are deeply intertwined — and solidified my commitment to fighting for climate justice on multiple fronts.

today, i continue my work, not just as a volunteer but as an advocate for long-term solutions. the flood taught me that while we cannot stop the waters from rising, we can build communities that are strong enough to withstand them. every effort, from rebuilding homes to rewriting policies, is a step toward a more resilient future.