Pakistan’s ongoing floods, among the country’s deadliest, have destroyed villages, submerged fields, and displaced over two million people.
The catastrophe has also devastated fragile ecosystems, drowning scrub forests, rangelands, and wetlands that once sheltered diverse species.
Jackals, wild boars, chinkara antelope, and jungle cats now wander into villages, searching for food and refuge.
These encounters spark rising human-wildlife conflicts, leading to livestock losses and retaliatory killings of vulnerable species.
Uzma Khan of WWF-Pakistan warned fragmented habitats weaken ecosystems, leaving wildlife populations more exposed to human threats.
She added that displaced snakes, including pythons, entered communities; many survived rescues, but others were killed.
Khan also cautioned that stagnant water fosters insect-borne diseases, endangering livestock and wildlife alike.
Borders, Mountains, and Rivers Strained
Floodwaters carried deer species, including endangered chinkara, from India into Pakistan, straining already stressed ecosystems.
Kamran Bukhari of the Punjab Wildlife Department confirmed dozens of hog deer rescues this year.
He said many animals suffer injuries from rocks and trees while being swept across rivers and need urgent care.
Altaf Ali Shah in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported glacial floods displaced Himalayan ibex and destroyed habitats for birds, rodents, and reptiles.
Experts highlighted equal damage underwater, where floods disrupted river systems, endangering species like the Indus dolphin, turtles, and crocodiles.
Haq said currents swept dolphins into canals, leaving them stranded far from their habitats, a recurring ecological tragedy.
The Indus dolphin, known as “bhulan,” survives only in Pakistan and remains one of the world’s most endangered freshwater cetaceans.
Renewal Amid Destruction
Despite the devastation, experts acknowledged floods also revive landscapes and support wildlife in unexpected ways.
Haq explained floods bring fresh grasses that boost herbivore populations like wild cattle and chinkara deer.
He added that floods increase productivity in rangelands and wetlands, drawing more migratory birds each season.
Khan agreed, saying natural floods rehabilitate habitats that sustain endangered riverine species like hog deer and waterfowl.
She emphasized protecting floodplains from human encroachment and reconnecting rivers with lakes to reduce damage and sustain biodiversity.
Unchecked leasing of wetlands and forests, she warned, weakens natural defences against intensifying floods and cloudbursts.
Haq urged creating wildlife corridors, restoring habitats, and adopting sustainable floodplain management to safeguard biodiversity.
Without these measures, he warned, Pakistan risks losing its ecological heritage and the safety nets that protect its people.
