Lessons from North India’s floods

I’ve seen the fertile fields of Punjab stretching toward the horizon, the winding roads of Himachal Pradesh carving through its mountains, and the serene rivers of my second home, Jammu and Kashmir. To see this familiar world, a place of profound beauty and resilience, submerged and broken, is to feel a deep sense of loss. When I saw images of a bus moving through waterlogged streets in Jalandhar and farmers in Punjab watching their crops vanish under a sea of brown water, I saw not just a regional disaster but a stark, undeniable warning to us all. This is not an isolated event; it is a global crisis manifesting on our doorstep, and its lessons must be carried to the world stage.

The monsoon season, a cycle of life for our subcontinent, has shown its devastating face with a ferocity unlike anything we have seen in recent memory. Across Northern India, from the plains of Punjab to the high peaks of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, the result has been widespread, catastrophic flooding and landslides. The Yamuna River in Delhi reached its highest level in decades, turning vital roads and entire neighborhoods into submerged wastelands. In Himachal Pradesh, relentless rain caused many landslides and slope failures that not only blocked roads but obliterated them, severing lifelines and isolating entire communities. Even the sacred Vaishno Devi pilgrimage site in Jammu and Kashmir was not spared, with a landslide killing at least 30 people and disrupting travel and posing grave risks to pilgrims.

The human cost has been immense. In Punjab alone, over 4 lakh people have been impacted and 48 lives claimed by the floods since the start of the season. In Himachal Pradesh, the loss has been even more severe, with over 350 lives lost and 49 people still missing. The total death toll across the affected states has exceeded 500, a sobering number that underscores the scale of the tragedy. Displaced communities and grieving families now face the gut-wrenching task of rebuilding their lives from scratch.

The economic impact is equally devastating. Agriculture, the backbone of this region, has suffered widespread damage. In Punjab, a staggering 1.75 lakh hectares of farmland were submerged, resulting in an estimated loss of over Rupee Foradian13,000 crore. Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh has suffered losses to the tune of over `3,056 crore since June 20 alone. Critical infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and power lines, was severely damaged, setting back progress and making it difficult for communities to receive urgent aid.

My home, Jammu and Kashmir, has not been spared. Torrential rains in August triggered flash floods in remote, mountainous areas like Kishtwar district, where at least 56 people were killed and dozens more were missing. The Jhelum River, a lifeline for the region, swelled dangerously, forcing authorities to evacuate around 9,000 people as floodwaters inundated urban pockets in three districts. For days, major roads, including the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, were closed due to landslides, cutting off the Valley from the rest of the country and trapping over 3,000 vehicles. 

Scientists have been clear about the cause. The intense monsoon season was exacerbated by the accelerating effects of climate change, leading to the cloudbursts and overflowing rivers that drove these floods. Analysis from groups like the World Weather Attribution indicate that such extreme rainfall events are now growing multifold in the region due to a global warming of approximately 1.6°C above pre-industrial levels. This is not a matter of debate; it is a scientific reality. Experts also stress that human interventions, including blocked drainage systems, encroachments on natural water channels, and unregulated construction activities have amplified the crisis. As one expert noted, the Arabian Sea has warmed unusually, bringing more moisture and making extreme rainfall “the new normal”.

This tragedy is a profound example of what is known as “climate injustice.” The people of the Global South, including those in Northern India, are bearing the brunt of a crisis disproportionately caused by the historical emissions of developed nations. They are facing the consequences of a problem they did not create, and it is a moral and ethical failing of the international community if we do not respond with urgency and solidarity. The world cannot look away. The horizon of this crisis is not a distant point in time, but a tangible, life-altering reality that has arrived, and it demands a global reckoning.

The future of our collective well-being will be built on the simple but profound belief that what works for one of us can, and should, work for all of us.

The lesson from India is a powerful one for the world’s leaders who will gather in Brazil for COP30 in November 2025. This is not a distant problem; it is here, and its effects are deadly. The response cannot be delayed. The world needs stronger commitments, not just empty promises. The lesson from Northern India must serve as a central tenet of a Global Ethical Stocktake that aims to ensure justice is embedded in our collective climate action.

First, we need Adaptation Funding. Wealthier nations must provide robust financial support to developing countries for building climate-resilient infrastructure—from early warning systems and flood defenses to disaster-resistant housing. The discussions around the “Baku to Belém Roadmap” must translate into a clear, monitored plan to scale up climate finance for developing nations. Second, the Loss and Damage fund, which was a historic breakthrough, must be fully operationalized. It is an urgent priority to help nations recover from climate disasters they did not cause. And finally, and most importantly, we need far more Ambitious Mitigation—accelerated global action to cut emissions is the only long-term solution.

The floods in Northern India are a global warning written in the water. 

They tell a story of vulnerability and injustice, but they also offer a clear-eyed vision for the future. By working together, by providing the support that is owed, and by urgently cutting emissions, we can honor the resilience of those affected and build a more just and secure world for us all. The time for action is now.