THE traditional calculus of national security in South Asia has long been anchored to land borders, geopolitical rivalries and the spectre of nuclear deterrence.

However, a silent, relentlessly expanding adversary is rewriting the strategic realities of the region, not across heavily militarized frontiers, but along our vulnerable coastlines. For Pakistan, the intersection of climate change and maritime security is no longer a distant theoretical construct reserved for academic symposiums; it is an urgent, operational reality rapidly unfolding across the Arabian Sea.

At the sharpest end of this threat matrix is the physical vulnerability of critical maritime infrastructure. The port of Karachi, Port Qasim and Gwadar port 10 are not merely commercial hubs; they are the sovereign lifelines of the state, serving as the strategic anchors of Pakistan’s geopolitical ambitions and the broader macroeconomic framework. Yet, these assets sit on the frontlines of a climate breakdown.........

© Pakistan Observer