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ISLAMABAD, Dec 31 (APP): Piyass International, a human rights and social justice organization, on Wednesday termed 2025 as a “year of warnings,” saying a series of devastating floods, wildfires, earthquakes and air crashes across the world exposed humanity’s growing vulnerability to natural disasters, compounded by poor governance and human negligence.
In a year-end assessment, the organization said climate change emerged as the primary driver behind the escalating frequency and intensity of disasters, with rising global temperatures, rapid glacier melt and erratic weather patterns pushing natural systems toward dangerous imbalance. It noted that while disasters were natural in origin, their destructive impact was significantly magnified by weak planning, lack of preparedness and failure to protect the environment.
Focusing on floods in Asia, particularly Pakistan, Piyass International said millions were displaced as heavy rains turned into humanitarian crises, illegal encroachments on natural waterways, deforestation and inadequate drainage systems. It said similar governance gaps were evident in wildfire-hit regions, where large swathes of land were destroyed, air pollution surged and ecosystems suffered long-term damage, while earthquakes revealed the deadly consequences of weak infrastructure and non-enforcement of building standards.
The report also raised serious concerns over aviation safety following multiple air crashes during 2025, calling for stricter technical oversight and improved training to ensure passenger safety. Highlighting Pakistan as one of the severely affected countries, the organization said more than 1,000 lives were lost in floods, millions were impacted, and over 1.3 million acres of agricultural land in Punjab were damaged, posing serious threats to food security and rural livelihoods, alongside a surge in post-flood diseases such as dengue and malaria.
Piyass International urged governments to declare climate protection a national priority, enforce building and safety laws, adopt sustainable urban planning and strengthen disaster preparedness and emergency response systems.