The devastating floods of 2022 did not just wash away homes, they washed away the very idea of what security means for Pakistan. National security, a phrase commonly used in Pakistan, has traditionally only been around safeguarding borders and maintaining territorial sovereignty.

While necessary, this has left other areas of security unchecked. The devastating floods that occurred in 2022 proved that, conventional strategies for protecting our citizens cannot be relied on to preserve their safety. Impacting more than 33 million people and causing total losses of more than $30 billion, the disaster should have been an eye-opening event, which would have emphasized the importance of the need to expand the definition of security to include the security of people.

As defined by the United Nations Development Programme, human security refers to the protection of individuals from threats such as hunger, diseases and displacement. This framework is important in understanding the risks that were highlighted by the floods. In Pakistan this would entail focusing on health, education and adaptation to climate change. The floods damaged 13% of the country’s health facilities, leaving millions........

© Eurasia Review