Walking through residential areas in Karachi, the inviting aroma of street food is frequently overpowered by a harsh, acrid smell. Thick grey plumes of smoke routinely rise from empty plots wedged between apartment complexes. This is not an accidental blaze, but the deliberate burning of household garbage, such as diapers, plastic bags, and food wrappers, to manage waste overflow. While national environmental debates usually focus on industrial emissions or Punjab’s seasonal crop-burning smog, these hyper-local pollution zones are largely ignored. For residents in densely populated neighbourhoods like Scheme 33, this informal disposal method is a toxic daily reality.
The Economics Behind the Smoke
To understand why this hazard persists, we must examine municipal infrastructure gaps. Informal waste collectors explain that when municipal trucks fail to arrive for days, garbage piles up, prompting resident complaints about flies and odors. Without the fuel, carts, or authority to transport trash to official landfills, burning becomes the quickest way to make it disappear. This highlights a systemic failure. Waste collectors are not deliberately polluting the air; rather, a lack of sustainable infrastructure forces low-income workers into environmentally disastrous choices just to keep streets visually clean.
The Invisible Health Crisis
The convenience of disappearing trash comes at a severe cost for those living near these plots. Residents frequently report coughing fits, irritation, and the necessity of shutting windows during evening burning hours. Exposure leads to respiratory distress, worsened allergies, and a decline in overall well-being. Instead of enjoying the evening breeze, families are forced to seal their homes against toxic fumes. These experiences show how environmental hazards disproportionately impact vulnerable populations.
The smoke creates a localized micro-pollution zone where the Air Quality Index (AQI) spikes far above the city’s average, trapping toxic particulates at street level. During Karachi’s sweltering summers, these fires exacerbate the urban heat island effect by adding thermal stress to the stagnant air.
Local healthcare professionals confirm the severity of this issue. According to a DAWN report, senior chest physician Dr. Nadeem Rizvi stated that dust and smoke from local fires severely aggravate acute asthma and respiratory diseases. Another medical expert warned that dioxin emissions from open waste burning are dangerous even at extremely low levels and are linked to cancer, as well as developmental and reproductive disorders.
The Science of Toxic Smoke
Unlike burning wood or leaves, incinerating modern garbage, which is heavily laden with synthetic materials and low-grade plastics, releases a lethal cocktail of chemicals. A late-2023 World Health Organization (WHO) report corroborates this, emphasizing that highly toxic dioxins can damage the immune system, interfere with hormones, cause cancer, and lead to reproductive and developmental problems. Additionally, the remaining ash contaminates the soil and can seep into local groundwater. By burning waste, neighbourhoods trade a visible nuisance for a lingering, invisible killer.
The convenience of disappearing trash comes at a severe cost for those living near these plots. Image Credit: Haseeb Ali
Shifting the Narrative and Seeking Solutions
Residents often celebrate the disappearance of visible trash, unaware of the invisible dioxins left behind. This disconnect highlights a massive gap in public health literacy. Open burning must be recognized as a public health emergency rather than a practical jugaad (hack). Effective science communication is needed to translate complex toxicology into everyday language. When people realize the smoke is fundamentally altering their children’s lung capacity, they are more likely to demand better municipal services instead of settling for toxic compromises.
Fortunately, local NGOs are bridging this awareness gap. Organizations like GarbageCAN and Trashit actively work in Karachi to promote responsible source segregation and recycling over open burning. GarbageCAN’s CEO, Ahmad Shabbar, advocates treating waste management as an essential service, while Trashit focuses on community recycling initiatives. Furthermore, NGOs like Aik Qadam Aur teach citizens how to compost kitchen waste, demonstrating that community-led action can significantly reduce the volume of garbage burned in streets.
What Can We Do?
The sharp, acrid scent of burning plastic drifting through your window is a frustrating reality that many have resigned to as an unavoidable “local flavor”. To truly clear the air, housing societies must stop taking shortcuts and invest in reliable secondary transport systems that actually move trash out. Municipal authorities must be held strictly accountable for maintaining collection schedules.
Most importantly, the informal waste pickers who act as the backbone of the current system must be supported. By advocating for their integration into the formal workforce with designated routes and proper safety gear, we transform a desperate, hazardous practice into a dignified job.
Have you noticed open waste burning in your neighbourhood? The first step to solving the problem is documenting it. Share your experiences, and subscribe to Scientia Pakistan’s newsletter for more on-the-ground environmental reporting. Let’s work together to clear the air.
“Karachi stakeholders float, debate solutions to city’s solid waste woes.” Published Nov 29, 2025. https://www.dawn.com/news/1958169(Source for GarbageCAN, Trashit, and NGO initiatives).
On a cold morning in Peshawar, middle-school students gather around plastic cups of bright yellow turmeric water. When vinegar hits the liquid, it turns vivid red. Gasps ripple through the room. Whispers rise. “How did it change?” “Can we try again?” Eyes wide, hands pointing, voices overlapping, for many, it is the first time learning experience when science feels real, something to see, touch, and wonder about.
A science communicator conducting the session notes how the energy in the room shifts completely. “Students who normally sit quietly were leaning forward, speaking up, questioning everything,” she recalls.
Yet, as education researcher Nazir A. Jogezai points out, moments like this are rare. In much of Pakistan, science classrooms are dominated by rote learning and exam preparation, leaving little space for inquiry or experimentation. “Students often pass tests without ever handling a pipette or watching a chemical reaction,” he says. The system prioritises coverage over understanding, theory over hands-on experience, and curiosity suffers.
Even a simple turmeric experiment can feel revolutionary, hinting at what’s possible when students are free to explore and question.
But for most schools in Pakistan, such moments are a rare occurrence. The numbers tell a daunting story: only about 60–61% of the population is literate, with a sharp gender divide, roughly 68% of men versus 53% of women. Nearly 26.2 million children, around 38% of those aged 5–16, are out of school. Public spending on education has fallen to just 0.8% of GDP, far below the 4–6% UNESCO recommends.
These gaps help explain why classrooms like the one in Peshawar often go without basic needs: roughly one-third of schools lack electricity or clean water, and nearly a quarter of primary schools operate with just a single teacher for all grades. Decades of underfunding have left Pakistan lagging far behind global standards, making hands-on, inquiry-driven science a rare experience.
The figures mirror what teachers see in the classroom every day.
“Science education in Pakistan is still based mostly on the rote learning (ratta) system,” says Shagufta Naheed, a high-school principal in a remote village, in an interview with Scientia Magazine. She explains that students “memorize concepts from textbooks without being taught how or why those things work in the real world.” For example, pupils might copy the equation for a chemical reaction without ever witnessing one in a lab.
“It’s really hard for students to fully understand scientific concepts,” Shagufta adds, because lab work often stays on paper, “there just aren’t enough resources, proper labs, or trained staff” to make experiments happen. The result is predictable: little creativity, little critical questioning, and students who treat science only as exam material.
Teachers say textbooks and lectures lose children within minutes. In Karachi, headmistress Durdana Tabassum observed that students quickly disengage from traditional science classes until something hands-on begins. At a recent school science fair, she noted the boys “are enjoying themselves and participating happily” as experiments replaced lectures. A facilitator explained, “We make the students do the experiments with us so that they will learn it for a lifetime.” One fifth-grader agreed: “I never thought I could learn science from these experiments.” By engaging curiosity and the senses, such activities turn rote routines into lasting lessons.
Recognizing this gap, non-profits and science-focused initiatives have stepped in to bring science into classrooms and communities across Pakistan. Science Fuse, a social enterprise, runs after-school clubs, summer camps, teacher-training programs, and traveling science shows to introduce hands-on STEM learning to low-income schools. Since its launch in 2016, it has partnered with roughly 250 schools, reaching 45,000 children and training 650 teachers—helping transform rote classrooms into spaces where curiosity can thrive.
Similarly, organizations like the Khwarizmi Science Society have long worked to popularize science through public lectures, festivals, and educational outreach, fostering critical thinking beyond textbooks. Media platforms such as Kaainat Studios are also playing a vital role by producing engaging science content and storytelling that connects young audiences with real-world scientific ideas. Together, these efforts are gradually reshaping Pakistan’s science education landscape—making it more interactive, accessible, and curiosity-driven.
The impact of these hands-on sessions is clear. Young students who had never touched lab equipment suddenly watch chemical reactions and ask “why” and “how” instead of just copying. One report noted children were “enraptured by the experiments and ended up learning a lot.” By actively doing rather than just listening, kids remember lessons for years. Their work aims to make science “relevant and meaningful”, showing students role models and practical applications that defy the old stereotype that “science is a very tough subject only boys can do”, by engaging girls equally in experiments.
Photo, Pakistan Education
Education analysts at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) describe such initiatives as hopeful, but the scale of the crisis remains overwhelming. Serious underinvestment leaves most public schools without functioning labs or basic supplies. Without higher budgets and structural reform, Pakistan “will continue to struggle” with millions of undereducated youth. Nearly four in ten children still lack meaningful access to schooling, risking the country falling behind economically and socially. Writing in Dawn, columnist Nazir A. Jogezai argues that students “lose faith in what they are taught,” becoming “demotivated degree-holders rather than valuable human capital.”
Even so, signs of change emerge. In every makeshift lab, under a desk or in a borrowed hall, children who once stared at equations now eagerly mix vinegar and baking soda, curious about each reaction. “Learning happens when students do things, not just memorize them,” she notes, echoing Confucius: hear and forget, see and remember, do and understand. With more funding, trained teachers, and hands-on moments, even Pakistan’s poorest schools can nurture future scientists. Meanwhile, programs like Science Fuse are lighting a spark, one experiment at a time.
Assembly – Malala Fund. “Building the Next Generation of Pakistani Women Scientists.” https://assembly.malala.org/stories/building-the-next-generation-of-pakistani-women-scientists
UNICEF Pakistan. “Giving Every Child the Right to Education.” https://www.unicef.org/pakistan/education
It was 1:43 a.m. when Bilal, a 22-year-old university student in Karachi, finally gave up on sleep. This had become a pattern rather than an exception. For weeks, he had been sleeping no more than three to four hours a night, waking repeatedly with a tight chest and a racing mind. During the day, he struggled with persistent headaches, slowed thinking, stress, and an unshakable sense of alertness, as if his body were constantly preparing for something to go wrong.
“I feel exhausted all day,” he says. “But when I lie down, my brain starts racing. It’s like it doesn’t trust silence.”
After months of dismissing his symptoms as poor time management or a lack of resilience, Bilal sought medical help. Clinical evaluation revealed that he was experiencing moderate-to-severe chronic stress, a condition in which the body’s stress response system remains activated for prolonged periods. His doctor explained that his symptoms were neurological rather than psychological weakness: sustained cortisol elevation, sleep-cycle disruption, and heightened autonomic nervous system activity. He was advised structured sleep regulation, reduced stimulant intake, cognitive behavioral therapy, and lifestyle interventions aimed at calming an overactive stress response.
Chronic stress differs fundamentally from short-term stress. While acute stress is brief and often beneficial, chronic stress persists for weeks or months without adequate recovery. Clinicians broadly describe stress progression in stages: mild stress, marked by irritability and fatigue; moderate stress, involving sleep disturbance, impaired concentration, and physical symptoms; and severe or toxic stress, where prolonged exposure begins to impair brain function, immunity, and cardiovascular health. The most dangerous stage is sustained severe stress, as it increases the risk of anxiety disorders, depression, metabolic disease, and long-term cognitive decline.
Bilal’s condition fell into this intermediate yet critical zone—severe enough to disrupt neurological functioning, but still reversible with early intervention. What he had interpreted as personal failure was, in reality, his brain struggling under relentless physiological stress.
Across Pakistan and the globe, chronic stress is quietly reshaping brains—not metaphorically, but biologically.
When a Survival System Turns Against Us
Stress is a protective biological mechanism. When the brain perceives danger, the amygdala—an almond-shaped structure involved in threat detection—signals the hypothalamus, activating a cascade of hormones including cortisol and adrenaline. This response prepares the body to react quickly and is essential for survival.
However, mental health professionals warn that this system was not designed for constant activation. Dr. Bruce McEwen, a neuroscientist at Rockefeller University who spent decades studying stress and the brain, explained in his landmark work published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2013) that prolonged exposure to stress hormones disrupts normal brain functioning. His research showed that chronic cortisol elevation can impair the hippocampus, a region essential for learning and memory, while simultaneously overstimulating fear-related circuits in the brain.
Clinical psychologists and physicians affiliated with the American Psychological Association have echoed these findings in public health briefings and educational reports published in 2020. Drawing on decades of neurobiological research, the APA explained that long-term stress physically alters neural connections, reducing cognitive flexibility and making concentration and emotional regulation more difficult. This research matters because it reframes stress-related symptoms—such as forgetfulness, irritability, and mental fatigue—not as personal shortcomings, but as measurable biological effects.
According to these experts, chronic stress forces the brain to prioritize immediate threat detection over higher-order thinking. In practical terms, this means the brain becomes efficient at surviving, but less capable of planning, learning, or resting. As Dr. McEwen emphasized in interviews accompanying his research, “the brain adapts to stress—but adaptation comes at a cost when the stress never ends.”
“I couldn’t breathe,” she says. “My heart was racing, and I felt like the walls were closing in. I didn’t know what was happening to me, and it was terrifying.” Photo, The News International
Stress: Why are the Students on the Edge?
Accounts of student distress in Pakistan have emerged not from formal polling, but from clinical case reports, counseling centers, helplines, and media interviews documented by mental health professionals working with adolescents and young adults. Psychologists affiliated with university counseling services and organizations such as the Pakistan Institute of Living and Learning report recurring patterns among students seeking help across major urban centers.
A 19-year-old A-Level student from Lahore, who requested anonymity during a counseling intake interview reported by clinicians, recalls collapsing after an exam she felt unprepared for. “I couldn’t breathe,” she says. “My heart was racing, and I felt like the walls were closing in. I didn’t know what was happening to me, and it was terrifying.”
Similarly, a 21-year-old university student from Multan described symptoms during a mental health awareness session conducted on campus: “I skipped meals, stayed awake for 18 hours straight, and my friends stopped recognizing me. I thought constant stress was normal—it felt like everyone was trapped in the same cycle.”
Dr Ayesha Khan, who often treats mental illnesses in teenagers, notes that these experiences follow recognizable patterns. Adolescents and young adults experiencing chronic stress often show persistent irritability, social withdrawal, disrupted sleep schedules, appetite changes, frequent physical complaints such as headaches or stomach pain, and emotional numbness. These are not subtle symptoms—family members, teachers, and peers can often observe declining academic engagement, emotional volatility, or complete exhaustion long before a diagnosis is made.
She also emphasized that these signs are not temporary exam nerves. When sustained over weeks or months, they indicate a nervous system under prolonged stress, requiring intervention rather than endurance.
The Brain Under Constant Alarm
Evidence from brain-imaging research shows that chronic stress produces measurable changes in how the brain functions. One of the most influential bodies of work comes from Bruce McEwen, whose research at Rockefeller University combined neuroimaging, animal studies, and clinical observations to examine how prolonged stress affects the human brain.
In a widely cited 2013 review published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, McEwen and neuroscientist John Morrison summarized findings from MRI and PET scan studies showing heightened activity in the amygdala—the brain’s threat-detection center—alongside reduced connectivity and efficiency in the prefrontal cortex, the region responsible for rational thinking, impulse control, and emotional regulation. These studies demonstrated that under chronic stress, the brain becomes biologically biased toward fear and vigilance rather than reasoning and reflection.
Why does this matter outside a laboratory? Because these neural changes translate directly into everyday behavior. When the prefrontal cortex is less effective, individuals struggle with decision-making, concentration, and emotional control. At the same time, an overactive amygdala amplifies emotional reactions, making people more sensitive to pressure, criticism, or uncertainty.
In daily life, this imbalance often appears as sudden irritability, difficulty organizing thoughts, impulsive responses, constant worry, and fragmented or non-restorative sleep. These are not personality traits; they are observable outcomes of a brain operating under continuous alarm. Neuroscientists stress that while these changes are concerning, they are not necessarily permanent—early intervention and stress reduction can allow neural circuits to recover.
Global Surge in Chronic Stress
The scale of chronic stress is no longer anecdotal; it is visible at a population level. In 2022, the World Health Organization released an extensive assessment examining the mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on data from multiple countries, the report found a 25 percent global increase in anxiety and depression during the first year of the pandemic, particularly among young people and students. Public health experts emphasized that this surge did not occur in isolation but intensified pre-existing stressors such as economic insecurity, academic disruption, and social isolation.
Importantly, researchers noted that the pandemic did not create a mental health crisis so much as expose and accelerate one already underway. Lockdowns, uncertainty, and prolonged disruption placed millions of people in a state of sustained vigilance—conditions closely associated with chronic stress. For many, the stress response never fully deactivated even after restrictions eased, leaving lingering symptoms such as sleep disturbances, emotional exhaustion, and reduced concentration.
In low- and middle-income countries like Pakistan, these effects are magnified by structural limitations. Mental health services are scarce, unevenly distributed, and often financially inaccessible. According to WHO estimates, Pakistan has fewer than one psychiatrist per 100,000 people, a gap that leaves most stress-related conditions undiagnosed and untreated. Cultural stigma further compounds the problem, as stress and anxiety are frequently dismissed as weakness or lack of faith rather than recognized as biological responses to prolonged pressure.
Public health specialists warn that without early recognition and intervention, chronic stress can quietly progress into more severe mental and physical health conditions. What begins as sleeplessness or constant worry may evolve into anxiety disorders, depression, cardiovascular disease, or immune dysfunction. The global surge in mental stress is therefore not only a psychological concern but a long-term public health challenge with implications for education systems, healthcare capacity, and economic stability.
The Plastic Brain: Hope Through Neuroplasticity
Despite the neurological toll of chronic stress, neuroscientists emphasize that the brain is not static. It possesses neuroplasticity—the ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections in response to experience, behavior, and environment. This capacity is what allows stress-damaged circuits to recover when pressure is reduced.
One influential line of evidence comes from John J. Ratey, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, who has studied the effects of physical activity on brain health. In research summarized in his 2011 work on exercise and cognition, Ratey explained how regular aerobic activity increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports neuron growth and strengthens connections involved in learning and emotional regulation. This matters because chronic stress suppresses BDNF; movement helps reverse that effect, giving the brain the biological tools it needs to recover.
Similarly, neuroimaging research on mindfulness has demonstrated measurable changes in stress-related brain regions. In a 2011 study conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard-affiliated institutions, neuroscientist Sara Lazar and psychologist Britta Hölzel used MRI scans to observe participants before and after an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program. Their findings showed reduced amygdala reactivity and increased gray matter density in areas associated with emotional regulation and self-awareness. In simple terms, the brain became less reactive to stress and better at managing it.
These findings are significant because they demonstrate that recovery from chronic stress is not merely psychological optimism—it is biologically observable. Structured routines, adequate sleep, exposure to daylight, social connection, and therapeutic support help signal safety to the nervous system, allowing stress circuits to deactivate. Experts caution, however, that while individual strategies are powerful, they cannot substitute for broader systemic support or accessible mental health care.
Beyond the Individual: A Public Health Concern
Chronic stress does not stop at the individual nervous system; its effects ripple outward into families, institutions, and national economies. When large segments of the population operate under sustained stress, the consequences appear as reduced productivity, increased absenteeism, higher healthcare costs, and long-term disability. Students struggle to learn efficiently, workers burn out earlier, and healthcare systems face rising demand for stress-related illnesses that could have been prevented with early intervention.
Public health researchers emphasize that chronic stress quietly amplifies inequality. Individuals from economically unstable households, conflict-affected regions, or under-resourced education systems experience prolonged exposure to uncertainty, making recovery far more difficult. Over time, this leads to disparities in academic achievement, workforce participation, and overall life expectancy. Stress, in this sense, becomes a social multiplier—deepening existing vulnerabilities rather than acting as an isolated medical issue.
The economic implications are substantial. The Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health warned in its 2018 report that untreated mental health conditions—including those driven by chronic stress—could cost the global economy trillions of dollars by 2030 through lost productivity and increased healthcare expenditure. Importantly, the commission stressed that these losses are largely preventable when mental health is addressed early and systematically.
In countries like Pakistan, where mental health infrastructure remains limited, the burden of chronic stress often goes unmeasured and therefore unaddressed. Without population-level screening, workplace protections, or school-based mental health programs, stress-related conditions progress silently until they manifest as severe illness or economic withdrawal. Public health experts argue that ignoring the neuroscience of stress is no longer viable; recognizing chronic stress as a biological and societal issue is essential for sustainable development.
Charting a Way Forward
Addressing chronic stress requires coordinated action that extends beyond individual coping strategies. Public health specialists and mental health practitioners recommend integrating routine mental health screening into primary healthcare, so stress-related conditions can be identified before they escalate. Expanding access to affordable counseling services, particularly within educational institutions and community health centers, is equally critical for early intervention.
Researchers also emphasize the need for increased public funding dedicated to mental health research and workforce training, ensuring that evidence-based care is accessible rather than limited to urban elites. Alongside clinical measures, public awareness campaigns play a vital role in explaining the neurobiology of stress to the general population, helping to dismantle stigma and reframe stress as a biological response rather than a personal failure.
Finally, implementing workplace and academic policies that limit chronic burnout—such as reasonable workloads, structured rest periods, and psychological support systems—can help create environments in which nervous systems are able to recover rather than remain in constant survival mode.
Bilal eventually sought therapy and adjusted his routine. Progress was gradual, but noticeable. “I thought something was wrong with me,” he says. “Now I understand my brain was just overwhelmed.”
Across Pakistan, students are beginning to recognize the same truth: stress is not a personal failing, but a biological response to relentless pressure. Awareness, support, and systemic change may be the first steps toward addressing this underrecognized public health challenge.
References:
American Psychological Association (2020). Stress effects on the body.
Hölzel, B. K., et al. (2011). Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging.
McEwen, B. S., & Morrison, J. H. (2013). The brain on stress: Vulnerability and plasticity of the prefrontal cortex. Nature Reviews Neuroscience.
Ratey, J. J., & Loehr, J. E. (2011). The positive impact of physical activity on cognition.
“We left our village and came to Larkana when the floods destroyed everything. But here, surviving is a constant struggle,” lamented old man Asif, who was sitting outside his tetered house in the district of Jhilmagsi in Balochistan province.
His house and that of other flood victims are made of fabric, bamboo, and other scraps that the migrants have assembled to create a semblance of shelter. The Tent City was established as part of the state’s response to manage and relocate displaced people across the district in 2022’s historic flooding.
Most of the displaced people across the world are situated in hot regions, such as Pakistan, and, like Asif, live in poor quality shelters with limited access to health services, which puts them at a high risk of exposure to extreme heat.
“Communities uprooted. People displaced and impoverished.” A phenomenon that seems to be taking root at a global scale, Pakistan presents a harrowing example of the devastating effects of climate change endured by those least responsible for it. Responsible for less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it finds itself on the front lines of climate breakdown (1). Between 2009 and 2023, a staggering 24 million Pakistanis were internally displaced by 107 separate disaster events (2).
The 2022 floods submerged one-third of Pakistan and displaced 8 million people overnight (3). In Sindh’s worst-hit districts, families like Asif’s faced a choice that wasn’t a choice: stay on land that may flood again, or leave everything they know. Stagnant water bred mosquitoes. Children ran fevers. The floods didn’t just drown fields- they poisoned what remained.
When floods submerged 22-year-old Kashif Abro’s family farm in Sindh province in 2011, they temporarily fled to Karachi, then returned. When the water came again in September 2022, they made the same journey, but this time they were not going back.
“We are not going back,” Abro says from a relief camp on Karachi’s outskirts, where 500 displaced families now live in tents. “There’s nothing for us” (4).
The 2022 floods submerged one-third of Pakistan and displaced 8 million people overnight. Image credit: Anadolu Ajansı
This extreme event, however, is only part of the story. The country is being steadily unmade by slow-onset disasters: the creeping drought in Tharparkar, the salinisation of the Indus Delta from sea-level rise, and the growing threat of glacial lake outburst floods in the northern mountains.These quieter crises are relentlessly uprooting communities, funnelling people toward already strained cities. Karachi alone is projected to absorb an additional 2.3 million climate migrants by 2050. (5)
Habibullah Khatti will soon leave his small village in Kharo Chan, a small town on Pakistan’s Indus Delta. Before he goes, he visits his mother’s grave to say goodbye. He doesn’t know what he’ll find in Karachi. He only knows what he’s leaving behind: salt-crusted land, empty houses, and an eerie silence where a community once lived.
“The saline water has surrounded us from all four sides,” Khatti says. He’s preparing to move his family to Karachi, joining tens of thousands already displaced from the delta region. (6) This is not a sudden disaster. It is a slow unmaking; a process repeating across Pakistan as climate change rewrites the map of where people can live.
Climate Change: The Unequal Weight of a Warming World
A 2020 analysis found that each severe weather event caused an average of 20,000 displacements in low-income countries compared to just 4,000 in the wealthiest. Over the last decade, the world’s poorest regions have recorded three times as many climate displacements as the richest nations. This is global inequality etched in human movement. (7)
The World Economic Forum’s 2026 Global Risks Report (8) ranks extreme weather as the number one long-term risk facing humanity. But for families like Khatti’s and Abro’s, this is not a future risk: It is their present.
Scientists propose ambitious fixes: artificial glaciers, satellite monitoring systems, solar-powered drones for remote data collection (9). But technology cannot help families who have no legal status, no land rights, no voice. The World Economic Forum warns of a “short-termism” trap: as geopolitical crises dominate headlines, long-term environmental risks fall down the policy agenda (8). Governments react to the last disaster instead of preparing for the next.
Pakistan, like most nations, lacks formal frameworks for planned relocation or urban integration. There is a policy vacuum at the heart of this crisis. We cannot keep building lifeboats without deciding where to row.
Ultimately, the dilemma of climate displacement is a mirror held up to our interconnected world: our decisions, our disparities, and our common future. The heartbreaking reality of families fleeing floodwaters or escaping wildfire-ravaged lands illustrates the climate crisis more powerfully than any abstract climatic chart.
The cotton that Kashif’s farm once produced would have become fabric. That fabric would have become shirts. Those shirts would have reached stores in cities whose citizens have never heard of Sindh. There are no far-off repercussions in an interconnected world: the ripple effect of devastation in the developing world will reach the wealthiest nations, and if action is not taken to navigate this crisis effectively, we will eventually run out of places to flee these catastrophic events.
The only question that remains is whether that motion will lead to a managed, if difficult, global adaptation or a chaotic collapse of the international order under the weight of an unmanaged crisis.
Nausheen H. Anwar, Soha Macktoom, Muhammed Toheed, Adam Abdullah. How climate change-driven displacement is reshaping Pakistan’s cities. Asia News Network. [Online] 2026. https://asianews.network/how-climate-change-driven-displacement-is-reshaping-pakistans-cities/.
British Red Cross. 2022 Pakistan floods: 1,700 killed and millions affected. redcross.org.uk. [Online] https://www.redcross.org.uk/stories/disasters-and-emergencies/world/climate-change-and-pakistan-flooding-affecting-millions.
Joles, Betsy. Pakistan’s Climate Migrants Face Tough Odds. Foreign Policy. [Online] December 2022. https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/12/21/pakistan-climate-change-migration-flood/.
Angaria, Waqas Alam. In Pakistan, sea level rise & displacement follow fisherfolk wherever they go. Mongabay. [Online] March 2025. https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/in-pakistan-sea-level-rise-displacement-follow-fisherfolk-wherever-they-go/?_scpsug=crawled,53569,en_be91200e01c0fd133bd50b5f813064865a1e5405ccc1f4f2b84812f662a38f8f#_scpsug=crawled,53569,en_be91200e01c0fd133bd50b5f813064.
Carmen Aguilar Garcia, Philip Whiteside. Displaced by the Climate. Sky News. [Online] https://news.sky.com/story/climate-change-the-people-forced-from-their-homes-by-floods-wildfires-storms-and-sea-level-rise-12355533.
Have we ever seen a chef cooking but not in a kitchen? Or a construction worker building, but not a construction site? Every profession has a designated place to carry out duties and activities involved; however flexible, there has always been a general sense of a “land of action”. In the same sense, physics also has a “land of action,” but it doesn’t need to exist in reality or as some physicality, even though it is much more real than it looks on paper. That land of action is “Spacetime”, a term coined by the mathematician Minkowski.
This is not a physical land or place of action like other professions, but still, the world’s experiments and simulations take place here. This foreign word “spacetime” has always remained an abode for physicists as it allows us the possibility to build anything within itself, and it even evolves alongside our imaginations.
For centuries, people like Newton, Lagrange, Maxwell, Einstein, and many others have watered this land and have given us the fruits in the form of many theories and discoveries. Specifically, in Newton’s era, spacetime didn’t exist in this present shape and form. We had spatial variables evolve with respect to time, which allowed us to track the position and motion of objects, which then go on to give rise to many derived physical quantities.
But as physics evolved, physicists like Maxwell showed that there is a maximum speed limit to light, which always remained the same, leading to an important realization by Einstein that motion is always relative to the observer. So he introduced a mathematical framework called “Lorentz transformations” to move from the frame of one observer to the other, which Minkowski realized were just basic rotations in a 4-dimensional space, where the fourth dimension is time, and there came the word “spacetime” for the first time.
As physics evolved, physicists like Maxwell showed that there is a maximum speed limit to light, which remained the same. Photo, History.com
Although the successors of Minkowski and Einstein refined the meaning of spacetime and many used it to discover important results in physics, recently everyone has started pointing fingers at spacetime, not in a confrontational manner, but inquisitively. Some modern mathematicians, like John Baez, promote the further refinement of spacetime, while others simply demand a better replacement. John Baez’s reason for attacking spacetime is its “continuity”; there exist infinitely many points, but eventually, this concept causes many infinities or pathological behaviours in physical theories.
He goes on to state in his blog, “We’ve seen that in every major theory of physics, challenging mathematical questions arise from the assumption that spacetime is a continuum. The continuum threatens us with infinities! Do these infinities threaten our ability to extract predictions from these theories—or even our ability to formulate these theories in a precise way?”
This is not the only problem with our beloved spacetime. One of the brightest theories of the 20th century and the commercial success of today and the coming future, “quantum mechanics”, also doesn’t fit well with this existing concept of spacetime, so we use a functional space called “Hilbert space” to describe quantum mechanics. Additionally, spacetime also fails to explain quantum entanglement, where the effect of one action can instantly trigger another action even millions of kilometers away, but that violates one of the basic foundations of spacetime, that there is a maximum speed limit, i.e., the speed of light.
These are not the only problems with spacetime, which has potentially allowed mathematicians to explore different solutions. One of those concepts is the “Emergence” of spacetime. Emergence simply means that at the very fundamental level or microscopically, even though the microscopic scale is still huge, there doesn’t exist a spacetime that we usually observe, rather, that can be anything other than this or even this in its exact shape and form, but that has no role in explaining the spacetime which we see.
Simply, it means that the ingredients that make up spacetime at the very smallest scales are not the ones that we observe at normal scales, which is basically the definition that spacetime is an emergent concept.
Although the definition of emergence is difficult to understand, Steven Strogatz, an expert in emergence, puts it simply in an interview that, “To me, what the emergence of space-time means is that space-time itself is like fluid mechanics. It’s like gas temperature and pressure and things like that. It’s just a coarse-grained, high-level way of thinking about something more fundamental, which we’re trying to put our finger on.”
The ingredients that make up spacetime at the very smallest scales are not the ones that we observe at normal scales. Photo, Live Science
Therefore, some experts, such as Erik Verlinde and Juan Maldacena, suggest that spacetime emerges from patterns of quantum entanglement. For example, when we assume strongly entangled quantum systems, the mathematical relations these quantum systems share then resemble the geometric connections. As we reduce the entanglement, these geometric connections weaken, and as we remove the entanglement altogether, this notion of spacetime falls apart. In this picture, spacetime is not the stage on which physics happens, but a large-scale approximation emerging from deeper, non-geometric structures defined in abstract Hilbert spaces (the mathematical spaces which allow the properties of quantum mechanics to be accurately described).
If this view is accurate, among all the hundreds of other speculated models, then the continuum of spacetime that flowed like a fluid would not be the most fundamental picture. But what does it actually mean? Now back to the analogy I described at the start of this essay, that the “land of action” for physics is just an illusion we see at the surface and fruits (physical theories), which we have assumed are coming from this land, but in actuality they might be coming from somewhere else but not here, and at the same time it rightly feels like that they were just grown here. As baffling as this analogy is, it rightly captures the confusion when we say that spacetime is emergent.
Since we, as physicists and mathematicians, have identified that spacetime is no longer fundamental, we now need to address the open question of whether to replace, refine, or redefine spacetime in a new mathematical form or picture. What is certain, however, is that physics has once again reached a point where mathematical structure is reshaping our understanding of reality itself and enabling us to tell newer and more exciting stories of reality.
One afternoon, my mom’s phone buzzed with an unexpected notification. It was a warning from her AccuCheck Diabetes monitoring app. “Caution: Blood Sugar Error”. For a few moments, we just stared at the screen, unsure what it meant. The very next day, my mom went to the hospital for a checkup. Blood tests revealed that her blood sugar levels had been spiking so much that her liver and kidneys had started slowly deteriorating. Without timely intervention, she could have developed diabetic ketoacidosis.
But it isn’t her diagnosis that matters here; it’s the technology that detected it. That alert was more than a notification; it was a digital reflection of her body predicting danger before it became irreversible. In a world full of data, Digital twins are transforming how we prevent risks rather than react to them.
This app represents a simple form of what is known as a Digital Twin. A Digital Twin is a virtual replica of a physical entity that is continuously updated with real-time data. It is fed with real data from the patient, their medical results, history, and health monitors. Unlike traditional simulations, it evolves as the patient’s condition changes, allowing doctors to anticipate complications before they occur.
In conditions such as cancer, where treatment must be highly personalized, this precision becomes critical. Here, a digital Twin is used as an online clone for examinations instead. Doctors can view each patient’s unique profile and test treatments and outcomes in a completely risk-free environment. Making it is safer for patients, faster for time-sensitive diseases, and cost-effective for the economically challenged. This shifts healthcare from reactive to preventive so that doctors can anticipate outcomes rather than just waiting for them.
A Digital Twin is a virtual replica of a physical entity that is continuously updated with real-time data. Photo, Beyon
For people living with Diabetes, predictive monitoring systems are like an extra layer of protection. Patients have reported that timely alerts prevented severe episodes that would have led to hospitalization.
Beyond Healthcare, Digital Twins originated in Engineering. Michael Grieves, who first formalized the Digital Twin concept, defined it as “a set of virtual information constructs that fully describes a potential or actual physical manufactured product.” This concept has been used in manufacturing and industry to create virtual copies of machinery for testing quality control, optimization, and potential failures.
They can even be used in architecture by modeling entire cities to improve planning for traffic management, disaster management, and safety against catastrophes like floods, and for energy efficiency by dividing electricity and water optimally across different sectors. Environmental scientists use similar models to simulate ecosystems and predict the long-term impacts of climate change.
Digital Twins in Engineering
In aviation, an Aircraft’s Digital Twin is not a 3D Model but, in fact, a living simulation fed by sensors with actual flight data to replicate exact conditions. At Airbus, it is used every step of the way from production to maintenance.
Platforms such as Skywise by Airbus are real applications of digital twins to ensure aircraft safety, from checking its wings to jet engines. Photo, Belcan
Siemens Xcelerator Digital Twin Simulator is used in the Industry by Companies such as Natilus, whose CEO, Aleksey Matyushev, says, “The wow factor was huge. It was the first time we ever saw the scale of what we’re building.”
Traditionally, aircraft maintenance was performed on fixed schedules or only after a malfunction. But now, Predictive Maintenance is used to predict issues in advance and ensure no mishap occurs in the sky by fixing them preemptively. Platforms such as Skywise by Airbus are real applications of digital twins to ensure aircraft safety, from checking its wings to jet engines, so that none of its parts fall into suboptimal conditions.
What will be their Role in the Future?
As artificial intelligence continues to advance, Digital Twins are expected to become more autonomous and adaptive, offering not only predictions but also optimized solutions in real time. However, the future impact of Digital Twins will depend on responsible governance, ethical data use, and equitable access to prevent technological inequality.
Just as Digital Twins protected one patient, my mom, they can be used to protect entire aircraft, cities, industries, and even the planet. From individual health to global ecosystems, Digital Twins allow humanity to anticipate risks rather than merely react to them. Engineering the duplicate may ultimately be how we preserve the original.
More than 50 years have passed since America’s Apollo missions made history by landing humans on the Moon for the very first time in July 1969. That monumental achievement marked the culmination of nearly a decade of intense scientific effort, engineering innovation, and national determination during the Space Race — a defining chapter in human exploration. NASA just took another giant leap and launched the “Artemis II” mission.
And, while NASA’s Artemis II crew won’t make a lunar landing themselves, their ambitious mission over the next 10 days represents a critical step forward in humanity’s return to deep space. Flying aboard the Orion spacecraft, the four-person crew will complete a crewed flyby of the Moon, testing vital life support systems, navigation, and communication technologies. Their successful voyage will lay the essential groundwork — and pave the way — for the next historic human footsteps on the lunar surface.
During their trip, the four astronauts on board will fly 6,400 miles (10,299km) beyond the far side of the Moon. This side always faces away from Earth –marking the first time this has been achieved.
According to NASA officials, during these three hours, the crew will analyse and photograph geologic features, such as impact craters and ancient lava flows. These observations will assist future missions to explore the Moon’s South Pole region.
During the mission, a few studies will be conducted on theastronauts’ health, which will also help NASA better understand the deep space travel issues that can affect the human mind and body, protecting astronauts on future lunar missions and on travel to Mars.
File photo of Yasir Tufail with the Orion Capsule.
If the crew passes safely around the Moon on this trip, NASA’s goal is for Artemis IV and V to become lunar landing missions, and it aims for both to happen in 2028.
Pakistani Scientist Yasir Tufail, who has been associated with the JWST mission, has witnessed the historic launch. He shares his feelings at the historic launch and says, “What a day this is. We are going back to the Moon. The Moon is a big deal for people like me. The people on the Artemis II crew are going to do something that has not been done in a long time. They are going to fly around the Moon.”
“The last time people did this was on Apollo 17. That was back in 1972. The Moon has been left alone for over 50 years. Now the Artemis II crew is going to the Moon. It is like we are going back to visit a friend. The Artemis II crew is making history. I have a lot of feelings about the Moon and the Artemis II crew going back to the Moon. The Moon is waiting for the Artemis II crew”, Yasir adds.
The Artemis program is NASA’s series of missions to enable humanity’s return to the Moon. NASA collaborates with US commercial and international partners to establish the first long-term human-robotic presence on and around the Moon. The Gateway, a vital component of NASA’s Artemis program, serves as a multi-purpose outpost orbiting the Moon that provides essential support for a long-term human return to the lunar surface and a staging point for deep space exploration.
Energy transition is one of the pressing issues of our era, and young people in this scenario are crucial stakeholders. Across bustling be cities and quiet villages, a quiet revolution is underway, and its spark comes not from fossil fuels, but from the sun, the wind, and young, innovative minds. 1
The region of Asia-Pacific is home to over 60 per cent of the world’s population, and about 60 per cent of the youth population. Like in every other region, young people are central to driving a just energy transition, as they are both major stakeholders in energy demand in future and powerful agents of change. Through their skills of innovation, entrepreneurship, research, and advocacy, youth are introducing and advancing renewable technologies, influencing policy, and pushing for climate justice and social equity.
While they are building global networks and creating new economic opportunities, many young people still face barriers such as limited access to funding and platforms. Empowering youth with skills, resources, and opportunities is essential to achieving a fair and sustainable energy future.1
The Global Clean Energy Boom
Clean energy is tightening its grip on new power generation worldwide. In 2024, renewable sources, including solar, wind, hydropower and geothermal, accounted for more than 90 percent of all new electricity capacity added globally, underscoring the rapid momentum behind zero-emission technologies. 3
Despite this surge, fossil fuels continue to dominate energy consumption, with global use not only persisting but rising. The clean energy transition is increasingly colliding with geopolitical instability and volatile markets, which are reshaping overall trade relationships and straining international cooperation.
At the same time, several countries are scaling back climate commitments even as electricity demand accelerates, placing added stress on power grids and complicating efforts to retire coal, oil and gas.
South Asia relies particularly on imports for nearly two-thirds of its energy, and fossil fuels make up around 80 percent of its energy mix. With the region expected to add about 600 million people over the next three decades, energy demand is poised to surge dramatically, building pressure on the economy and intensifying the challenge of balancing energy security with the pursuit of green transition policies needed to protect the planet. 2
The central challenge facing policymakers is how to meet rapidly growing energy demand while expanding clean power and phasing out fossil fuels. Experts say the transition remains achievable, pointing to the potential for a future powered by clean, affordable and reliable energy, provided governments act to close critical gaps in financing, policy frameworks and infrastructure. 3
In South Asia, solar power output has doubled in just three years, delivering more than 2,000 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024. Wind energy continued its upward trajectory, supplying 8.1 percent of global electricity, while hydropower, the world’s largest single renewable source, held steady at 14 percent of total generation.
“Solar power has become the driving force of the global energy transition,” said Phil MacDonald, managing director of Ember. “When combined with battery storage, solar is emerging as an unstoppable solution. As both the fastest-growing and the largest source of new electricity, it is essential to meet the world’s rapidly rising power demand.” He added that young people are playing a critical role in accelerating this shift through innovation, entrepreneurship, research, and grassroots advocacy that is pushing governments and industries to move faster toward clean energy.
These findings are detailed in Ember’s sixth annual Global Electricity Review. The report offers the first comprehensive picture of the global power system in 2024 using country-level data. It is published alongside the world’s first open dataset on electricity generation for 2024, covering 88 countries responsible for 93 percent of global electricity demand, as well as historical data spanning 215 countries. 4
Youth in South Asia: Powering Change at Home
Young people are increasingly confronting global challenges with creativity and innovation. They are engagingly bringing fresh ideas, shaping the futures they envision, and driving human development for themselves, their communities, and wider society.
The Asia–Pacific region is home to more than 660 million young people aged 15 to 24, many of whom are coming of age amid overlapping crises. The impacts of climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing economic instability have deepened existing challenges to the extent of placing intense pressure on this generation. Nearly 63 percent of people across Asia and the Pacific view climate change as a major global emergency and are calling for stronger action from their leaders. At the same time, civic space across the region continues to narrow, with new restrictions introduced over the past five years limiting public participation and youth engagement.
These pressures are compounded by persistent inequalities. Women and girls, rural communities, Indigenous peoples, ethnic and linguistic minorities, persons with disabilities, migrants, gender and sexual minorities, young people, and older persons are disproportionately represented among those being left behind, underscoring the need for more inclusive and equitable development pathways. 5
Pakistan’s rapid solar adoption emerged from a “perfect storm” of economic pressure and market opportunities.
Building Resilience in Climate Hotspots across South Asia
Located between the fragile ecosystems of the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean, South Asia ranks among the most climate-vulnerable regions in the world. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report, extreme weather events pose the greatest threat to the region over the coming decade.
While international policymakers continue negotiations on emissions and climate targets, young leaders across South Asia are taking decisive action at the grassroots level.
In Bangladesh, members of the Dhaka Hub of Global Shapers launched Treelionaire, an ambitious reforestation campaign aimed at restoring green cover in their city. What began as a local initiative has since expanded into a regional movement spanning 27 cities across South Asia, with more than 10,000 trees planted to date.
Meanwhile, in Pakistan, the Peshawar Hub is advancing climate awareness through innovation and technology. Their project, ClimaSynth, translates complex climate data into accessible knowledge through an AI-powered chatbot, a carbon footprint calculator and interactive educational tools. With plans to scale across the region within the next three years, the initiative seeks to empower thousands with the knowledge and tools needed to take meaningful climate action.
“We’re not just raising awareness, we’re equipping people to act,” said Ubaid Ullah, a member of the project team who also serves at Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination.
Together, these youth-led initiatives demonstrate how localised efforts can evolve into scalable, regional solutions, proving that South Asia’s young change makers are not merely responding to the climate crisis but actively shaping resilient futures. 6
Pakistan: Solar in the Fast Lane
Pakistan’s rapid solar adoption emerged from a “perfect storm” of economic pressure and market opportunities. On the demand side, electricity tariffs surged by 155% in just three years, making grid power increasingly unaffordable for households and industries. The withdrawal of subsidies, rising global fuel prices, fixed payments to underutilised fossil-fuel plants and the broader economic crisis further elevated the costs. In agriculture, the removal of diesel subsidies pushed farmers toward solar-powered alternatives.
On the supply side, global solar panel prices fell nearly 50% due to Chinese overproduction, while Pakistan waived duties and sales taxes on solar PV imports until mid-2025. Supportive policies, including favourable net-metering, off-grid solar subsidies and incentives for utility-scale projects, have also added momentum. Between 2019 and 2025, solar panel imports exceeded the country’s total installed power capacity by 2 GW. However, only 0.7 GW was utility-scale and grid-connected, highlighting a significant shift toward small, distributed rooftop systems whose full scale remains difficult to quantify. 7
Bangladesh: Innovation with a Twist
Driven by a vision for sustainable innovation, Abdullah Al Araf, Johora Gulshan Ara and Rahat Uddin from Bangladesh launched the BD Highway Turbine project, an inventive solution that harnesses wind generated by fast-moving vehicles on highways to produce clean, renewable energy. Their intelligent vertical-axis wind turbine is designed to convert highways and coastal corridors into energy-producing zones, offering a low-impact and environmentally friendly alternative power source.
Their breakthrough came in 2023, when nearly 40,000 young innovators applied to GenU’s imaGen Ventures programme, delivered in partnership with Accenture, UNDP, Scouts, Plan International and USAID. In its fourth edition, 10 winning teams were selected to receive funding, mentorship, incubation and technical support to scale their ideas. For the BD Highway Turbine team, the experience proved transformative.
Through intensive boot camps and expert guidance, they strengthened their skills in leadership, communication and teamwork. “Learning effective project management was critical for setting clear goals and navigating challenges,” Rahat shared, while Johora highlighted how the programme enhanced their overall strategic capacity. 8
Since winning, the team has gained recognition both nationally and internationally. “The validation we received through the programme elevated the visibility and credibility of our project within government and non-government circles,” said Johora. They have since secured a grant from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Power, Energy & Mineral Resources and showcased their innovation at major national and global exhibitions.
Abdullah also spoke at the Bangladesh Business Innovation Summit 2023, sharing their entrepreneurial journey, and their team represented Bangladesh at an international youth startup exhibition organised by the Club of Young Industrialists and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, further expanding their global network and impact. 8
India: Skills, Startups, and Solar Technicians
Across India, governments and private organisations are training thousands of young people in renewable energy trades. Solar photovoltaic (PV) technicians, wind turbine technicians, and electrical installers are finding steady work, some as employees, and others launching small businesses. In one state initiative, more than 900 rural youth trained in solar tech found jobs or started green enterprises, turning local knowledge into income.
India’s push to strengthen domestic manufacturing is facing setbacks in the solar sector, where limited government funding and a shortage of skilled workers are halting the progress and putting clean energy targets at risk, according to industry leaders. Manufacturers of solar panels, solar cells and storage batteries report rising costs and project delays.
This is raising multiple concerns about India’s ability to cut emissions and meet its global climate commitments. The challenges also highlight gaps in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” initiative, which aims to boost 15 key industries, including renewable energy and electronics, and position India as a global manufacturing hub.
To support local production, the government has imposed tariffs of 40% on Chinese solar panels and 25% on solar cells, alongside allocating roughly $3 billion in production-linked incentives. These measures are part of India’s broader goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.
However, industry experts argue that significantly greater investment and stronger workforce training programmes are needed if India is to meet its target of adding 50 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel capacity each year and reaching 500 gigawatts by 2030. 9
As the global fight against climate change intensifies, the renewable energy sector is expanding at an unprecedented pace. Energy systems worldwide are steadily shifting toward cleaner sources such as solar, wind, and battery storage, a transition that not only reduces carbon emissions but also opens vast employment opportunities.
However, this rapid growth has exposed a major challenge: a shortage of skilled professionals capable of meeting the sector’s evolving demands. Bridging this gap is essential not only for job creation but also for accelerating the green transition.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the global energy transition could generate up to 42 million jobs by 2050. In India, the target of achieving 500 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030 is expected to require more than one million skilled workers. Yet, the supply of trained engineers, technicians and sustainability experts is struggling to keep pace.
Several factors are driving the surge in talent demand. Technological advancements, including AI-enabled energy management systems and advanced battery storage, require specialised expertise. Government incentives and policy support for renewable projects are further increasing workforce needs. Additionally, international climate commitments, such as India’s net-zero emissions goal by 2070, are accelerating investments in green energy infrastructure.
Despite these drivers, critical roles in solar installation, wind turbine maintenance and green hydrogen production remain difficult to fill.
Addressing the skills gap calls for coordinated efforts between governments, industry and educational institutions. Stronger industry-academia collaboration can help develop specialised curricula aligned with market needs, while internships and apprenticeships can provide hands-on training. Governments, meanwhile, can scale up skill development initiatives, such as India’s Skill Council for Green Jobs and offer incentives or subsidies to encourage professionals to pursue careers in renewable energy.
Closing the talent gap will be a key to sustaining the momentum of the global clean energy transition and ensuring that climate goals translate into tangible progress. 10
Beyond South Asia: Young Innovators Making Waves
South Asia is part of a global tapestry of youth leaders in clean energy. In Africa, young apprentices trained in solar installation are powering villages and building careers in renewable tech. Likewise, in Egypt, teenagers transform agricultural waste into clean fuels, reducing pollution and creating new income streams.
New opportunities for youth, by youth
In South Asia, youth unemployment and disengagement remain pressing challenges. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), nearly one in four young people in the region falls into the category of ‘NEET,’ not in education, employment or training, highlighting a significant portion of youth cut off from meaningful opportunities and economic participation.
In response, the Ahmedabad Hub launched Project Accelerate: Skills, Set, Go, an initiative designed to bridge the widening gap between education and employability. Acknowledging that formal degrees alone are no longer enough to succeed in today’s fast-evolving job market, the programme focuses on equipping young people with practical, 21st-century, and future-ready skills that enhance their career prospects. “We started this initiative with a simple belief, talent is universal, but opportunity is not,” said Krunal Shah, a member of the project team. 11
In collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), IBM and the United States Department of State, the Hub developed structured training modules, certification programmes and strategic partnerships to expand its reach and impact. The initiative combines technical skills development with career guidance, helping participants gain both competence and confidence. “Young people who participated began to not only dream again but also act. They were getting jobs, internships and a renewed sense of direction,” Shah added.
To date, Project Accelerate has provided over 230,000 young people with industry-relevant skills and supported more than 700 individuals in securing employment, demonstrating how youth-led solutions can create tangible pathways to opportunity. 11
Why It Matters?
Economists and climate experts increasingly recognise clean energy as one of the fastest-growing and most resilient employment sectors worldwide. As countries accelerate their transition away from fossil fuels, investments in solar, wind, hydropower, green hydrogen and battery storage are generating millions of new jobs across the value chain, from manufacturing and installation to research, maintenance and digital energy management.
For many young people, entering the clean energy workforce represents more than financial stability. Image Credit: UNIDO
Unlike many traditional industries that are vulnerable to automation or resource depletion, the renewable energy sector is built around innovation, sustainability and long-term growth.
Beyond its environmental benefits, the clean energy transition offers a powerful economic lifeline, particularly in regions where conventional job markets are shrinking or unable to absorb growing youth populations. Large-scale solar parks, decentralised rooftop systems, wind farms and community-based energy projects create opportunities not only for engineers and scientists but also for technicians, project managers, data analysts, entrepreneurs and skilled tradespeople. In rural and underserved areas, renewable energy initiatives can stimulate local economies by generating employment close to home, reducing migration pressures and fostering inclusive growth.
For many young people, entering the clean energy workforce represents more than financial stability. It provides a sense of agency and alignment with global climate action. A career in renewables allows youth to contribute directly to solving one of the defining challenges of their generation. Instead of viewing climate change solely as a crisis, they become active participants in building solutions, designing smarter grids, installing solar panels on community schools, maintaining wind turbines or developing innovative storage technologies.
In this way, clean energy jobs offer not just a paycheck but a purpose-driven pathway. They connect personal ambition with planetary well-being, enabling young professionals to shape a future that is both economically secure and environmentally responsible.
Challenges Remain!
Despite its promise, the clean energy transition is not without complications. The rapid expansion of large-scale renewable projects has, in some cases, exposed gaps in labour protections, wage standards and workplace safety. Contract-based employment, informal hiring practices and inconsistent enforcement of labour laws have raised concerns about job security and fair compensation. In certain regions, communities have also voiced concerns about land use, displacement and unequal distribution of project benefits.
These issues underscore an important reality: a green transition must also be a just transition. Creating renewable energy infrastructure is not enough; it must be accompanied by policies that safeguard workers’ rights, ensure safe working conditions and promote equitable opportunities. Without proper oversight, the sector risks replicating some of the same inequalities found in traditional energy industries.
However, these challenges also present a crucial opportunity. With stronger regulatory frameworks, transparent labour standards and targeted skill development programmes, the renewable energy sector can set a new benchmark for inclusive and dignified employment. Investments in vocational training, certification systems and worker protections can professionalise the industry while improving job quality. Public-private partnerships can further ensure that local communities benefit directly through employment, entrepreneurship and shared ownership models.
If supported by thoughtful policies and sustained investment, clean energy has the potential to deliver not only economic growth but also environmental justice, powered by a generation of skilled, empowered young people who are capable of building a more equitable, reliable, and sustainable future.
Agriculture is an important sector of Pakistan’s economy. This sector directly supports the country’s population and accounts for 21 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Roughly 95 percent of Pakistan’s water is used for agriculture, with 60 percent of its population directly connected to agriculture and livestock and 80 percent of exports based on these sectors. Recently, the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources issued a serious warning regarding continuous careless water mismanagement and that the country may totally run out of water by 2025.
Dr. Pervez Aamir is a senior environmental economist at the Asianic Agro division environmental. He completed his early education at Lassale High School Faisalabad in 1972. Later he graduated in Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, followed by Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Michigan State University in 1984. He currently works in advanced environmental economics courses at Harvard University and is the former research associate at Winrock International.
Dr Pervaiz is the director of the Pakistan Water Partnership and a former member of the Prime Minister’s Task Force for Climate Change. Below are excerpts of his recent conversation with our team member Aniqa Mazhar.
Aniqa: How do environmental economics benefit society and agriculture?
Dr Pervaiz: Environmental issues like climate change, pollution, fog, and particularly pesticides directly affect agriculture. If you successfully control pollution in urban areas, its impact can be directly observed on our wheat crop.
Similarly, if we properly control environmental regulations and patents and medicines in livestock and crop agriculture, it will also show direct benefits. Likewise, if we plant trees in the whole country instead of just specific tsunami-affected areas, rainfall patterns can improve significantly as rainfall increases. This is very beneficial for a dry country like Pakistan.
Poor countries of the world first focus on the ‘stomach,’ social services, health, education allocation, etc. Environment comes later.
Aniqa: What do we basically study in environmental economics? Environmental science is part of Biology, so how is it linked to Economics?
Dr Perviaz: The main thrust of economics is allocating resources like land, labor, capital, etc., for the maximum benefit of society. Different issues in biology and environmental studies like residues, the ionosphere can be dealt with keeping in mind the economic perspective, which is called opportunity cost.
For example, if we start a cement factory-like in Kallar Kahaar, it may be that it proves to be a source of prosperity for its stakeholder, but the life of that area, either trees or wildlife, is affected. Water quality is concerned.
This is where the two fields’ symbiosis occurs; looking at biology through an economic lens and keeping in mind the biological limitations when studying economics. Covid-19 is an excellent example. The virus has led to the complete destruction of the country’s economy, closed all businesses during the lockdown, and still negatively impacted it.
Aniqa: Nature is indeed the GDP of the lows; their income largely depends on it. Why don’t we recognize this in Pakistan and invest in preserving nature?
Dr Pervaiz: We do recognize this, but our budget for the Ministry of Environment is the lowest. The Environment becomes a priority with the progressive advancement of a country and how rich it is. Most trees planted in the world are in the US or Canada, or Europe. India also has about 30 percent cover by forests.
Dr. Pervaiz (second from left) with renowned Pakistani diplomats. Photo Dr. Pervez Amir
Poor countries of the world first focus on the ‘stomach,’ social services, health, education allocation, etc. Environment comes later. In Pakistan, less than one percent of the total budget is allocated to the Ministry of Environment. Now, it has been made to the Ministry of Climate Change. They have combined the fields of Environment and Climate Change. The 17 SDGs include separate goals for trees, birds, oceans, land, economics, and education. About three to four 3 goals linked to the Environment are lumped together. Separate allocation is not available.
The poor farmers have animals who graze land or trees or any biomass. The main thrust of our economy is to increase the GDP, whether it is sustainable or not. Sustainability is not a concern.
Aniqa: Climate change is still a rarely discussed topic in Pakistan. Why is it so?
Dr. Perviaz: I don’t believe that’s true. We have worked a lot on climate change in Pakistan in the last 18 to 20 years or so. I have been very closely associated with it. Pakistan ranks 5th in the German Watch right now. The German Watch is a world risk index, but two or more countries present have no reality.
Aniqa: What is the German Watch?
Dr. Pervaiz: It is a Vulnerability Index for 122 countries of the world. It ranks countries according to their climatic risks. In that ranking, Pakistan’s name comes in the top ten. It has always been so, but this time it is on the 5th number. Countries like Fiji, Philippines are in the top 4, and they are pretty small countries with a population even smaller than Karachi. So, in my view, the most vulnerable to Climate change would have to be Pakistan.
We are part of the Paris Agreement as well and have provided several reportings to them. Our emissions are pretty less globally; we stand at number 135 in emissions in the world. But where the effects of Climate change are concerned, whether they may be a shortage of water, biodiversity, glacier melting, marine life, or droughts, they are all severe. In Pakistan, climate change has multiple threats, unlike in Europe, where there’s just a change in temperature and weather.
Therefore, we take this issue of climate change extremely seriously, but we’ve lumped it with Environment and cannot distinguish the two as separate fields, although I believe the distinction is quite clear.
According to Dr. Pervaiz, We should introduce this field of climate change from an early level at school to a higher Ph.D. level.
Aniqa: Sir, why is it then that we are not able to differentiate between these two? What is lacking in our research or the methodology of the people working on this?
Dr Pervaiz: You see, research is already mere. Now, a couple of universities have come to start work on this. ITCC reports, which are international, are only focused upon here.
We have opened up many departments on Environment in many universities, but departments for Climate Change have been opened only recently at LUMS and one or two other places. These are units rather than full-fledged departments. The hardcore work of Climatology has two phases: adaptation and mitigation.
We should introduce this field of climate change from an early level at school to a higher Ph.D. level. In Islamabad, there is a center at the Ministry of Climate Change, previously known as the Ministry of Environment, called CGSIC, a global climate change center. COMSATs University is also doing some work on Climate change, as well as the University of Faisalabad.
Aniqa: So, all these departments are introductory?
DrPervaiz: Yes, a lot of investment is required. The field of Environment is relatively better established. It is the people of the Environment who exhibit leadership in climate change.
Aniqa: Are these two different fields, or can we say that climate change is a subfield of environmental science?
Dr Pervaiz: Weather is the day-to-day characterization of the atmospheric conditions, whereas climate describes long-term atmospheric conditions. They are distinct subjects but entirely overlapping, for example, how carbon dioxide emissions affect the Environment.
Aniqa: The Indian Government has canceled hydroelectric projects to conserve rainforests. However, in Pakistan, our electric consumption depends on hydroelectric sources despite massive rain patterns. What do you think?
Dr Pervaiz: India is working on 5000 dams. We only have 3 to 4 dams. Water security is the most important in the world. Nuclear power and other things do not matter as much. Countries that are water-secure survive while those that are not.
We make dams for water storage at a point to regulate and make it reach a place where a shortage is faced. An extra benefit of a dam is hydropower. You can attach the dam to a turbine to create electricity.
Pakistan is still deficient in electricity. Our struggle is to ban activities that lead to carbon dioxide emissions like burning oil for generators, burning coal, etc. hydropower is the best strategy for Pakistan. To be exact, hydropower, wind energy, solar energy.
India is going towards solar rapidly as well as currently making the most significant number of dams. Our main threat is India, and we need more focus to cope.
Aniqa: How are economic activities related to water resources and the Environment?
Dr Pervaiz: Pakistan’s economy is basically agriculture-based. Most of our economic activities revolve around our crops. If we talk about sugarcane, it is used in sugar mills. Cotton produced is used in the textile industry. Agriculture is a way of living for us. Our industries would halt without it. We want to provide a facilitative environment for agriculture. For that, safe drinking water is the first most essential thing required. No country can advance without it. Around 40 percent of diseases in Pakistan are due to dirty water, like diarrhea.
Next, if the air in your Environment is not clean due to industries or atomic waste, children’s lungs are affected from birth. Their productive life is less than 50 years. It is crucial to tailor the Environment so that our life expectancy increases to 80 to 90 years like in America.
The quality of life should also improve. If people go to the park, they should feel at peace and harmony with birds and nature. In Europe, for example, societies with suitable physical and biological Environments have higher productivity. Factories with trees and clean water in their vicinity will have more productive labor.
Look at Kalma Chowk in Lahore, people are dying from coughing and sputtering. How productive do you expect them to be with such a condition?
Aniqa: Water is an essential part of economic development. Do you think Pakistan works well in this regard?
Dr Pervaiz: Many people say that Pakistan had 5000 cm3 of water when made in 1947. Now it has even less than a 1000cm3 left. The main reason is not that the amount of water has lessened. The population growth of Pakistan is relatively high. Availability per capita is quite less due to mismanagement of water resources. We plant crops like sugarcane and cotton, etc., which are very water-intensive.
People living near the rivers face no water shortage, but Southern Punjab faces a severe drought.
Aniqa: So, areas with less water have slower economic development?
Dr Pervaiz: Yes, exactly. Where does terrorism occur? In extreme and dry desert areas and peripheries of Balochistan, KPK, Sindh, and Punjab.
Aniqa: Which economic, political, and cultural factors significantly impact local agricultural practices in Pakistan?
Dr Pervaiz: The most significant is land-reforms. The main chunk of the population’s land is in landlords’ hands, who rarely visit those lands. In India or other countries, 65 acres or 1 acre of land is the maximum an owner can have at a time.
Pakistan has been affected by early politics; it was made by the inherited properties of Nawabs and landlords. The English adopted the method of grasping power by land and water allocation, control, and distribution in the political economy. So that’s why Pakistan’s history includes only a few families with the land.
We need productive gain per acre of land, which can be achieved when society prioritizes agriculture as a focal thrust. When wheat, fruits, and vegetables start to go down, all the public starts screaming. When they are available, nobody wants to worry about agriculture. Other sources like McDonald’s, Defense in Lahore and societies, are given priority and allocation.
Aniqa: What is available is always taken for granted?
Dr. Pervaiz: Exactly. You asked at the beginning about poverty. We can reduce it when water is appropriately managed: 20 percent of our GDP that is 50 billion dollars, is from agriculture. We can quickly increase it to 350 billion dollars! If we surmount political barriers and develop our deserts like China, poverty can be erased, and harmony can prevail.
The poor can eat, distribution to other countries can also be possible. This is called the ‘multiplier factor’ in economics. When money is transferred to England by Nawaz Sharif, the economy faces a net loss. Money made in Pakistan should be invested in agriculture and circulated here to increase Pakistan’s productivity and reduce poverty.
Aniqa: My last question is that economic and ecological systems are interlinked at the local and global levels. What challenges do we face due to massive environmental changes in different parts of Pakistan?
Dr Pervaiz: We either deliberately or unintentionally disturb the ecological system. People say sea intrusion is because of dam-building, but both these are not related. Dam water is used in industry, agriculture, and power generation. Studies show it is a natural phenomenon and is not affected by dams built on top regarding sea intrusion.
Cutting of mangroves and deforestation are at peak in the world. Humankind disturbed the ecological balance itself. Pakistan has 1046 km of coastal areas; we export crawlers and planted them there. That totally destroys the natural flora and fauna over there. Other plants from France and China are also totally ruining the ecological balance there.
Likewise, Pakistan is one of the lowest countries in the world in tree plantation. Not even 4.2 percent of our land is covered with forests. Good countries have 25 to 30 percent cover. Canada has 60 percent cover. Our cover is so less that it leads to soil erosion, and ecological imbalance is inevitable. Severe erosion leads to issues like landslides which also affect the ecology.
People are making a racket about the Indus Dolphin’s extinction, but they don’t care about its habitat. Species depletion is occurring rapidly. Natural parks are rare, while their protection is almost zero.
In olden times, villages had ponds with birds and animals. Now, societies are being made in all these areas and creating biological imbalance.
Aniqa: This imbalance is because industrialization is increasing, right?
Dr Pervaiz: Yes, cities and industrial zones are increasing at their own pace, but small factories everywhere outside a zone are very problematic—for example, the brick kilns industry.
Ecological balance is at the lowest ladder of economic thinkers. Their vision is blocked; they don’t want to think about the outcome. They just think about the money they’ll get, the money that’ll go in the FBR. Money is all that is being focused on.
Aniqa: Thank you very much, Sir, for your precious time and for sharing your knowledge!
Dr Pervaiz: My pleasure! I hope you got the answers you were looking for and I wish you the best of luck with your magazine!
Pakistan has reached a point where student distress is harder to ignore. In Lahore, recent cases involving university students have brought this issue to public attention. A 22-year-old boy gave up on his life by jumping from the fourth floor of a university building. This case led to protests over alleged humiliation linked to attendance rules [1]. Another involved a first-semester student who survived with serious injuries after jumping from second floor of university building [2]. A third case involved a hostel student at a public medical university who jumped from the fourth floor and died [3].
Each case triggered inquiry committees and public debate. Each case also raised the same hard question. Why do so many students break down in silence before anyone steps in?
This piece of writing does not treat those reports as spectacle. Suicide is rarely the result of one event. The World Health Organization stated in a report about suicide published on 25th March, 2025, that suicide grows from multiple social, psychological, cultural, biological, and environmental factors [4]. The World Health Organization, in a report about preventing suicide published on 12th September 2023, warns against simple explanations and sensational reporting because both distort public understanding and weaken prevention [5].
Why do students reach this point?
A student rarely wakes up one morning and moves from stable to suicidal. The path is often slow. Pressure builds. Shame grows. Sleep gets worse. Fear becomes constant. Hope shrinks.
For many students in Pakistan, university life carries more than study pressure. It entails family sacrifices, financial burdens, professional competition, hostel adjustment, and the fear of wasting years of effort. One failed exam feels like a public collapse. One warning feels like a verdict. One harsh interaction feels final.
In 2017, the Journal of Ayub Medical College Abbottabad published this research by the Institute of Clinical Psychology, University of Karachi, Pakistan. This study supports the view that college students found suicidal ideation was linked with depression, anxiety, stress, and lower life satisfaction [6].
Student mental health strain is common, and ignoring it carries a cost. The author generated this photo with AI.
In 2023, a study was conducted among students at four major Pakistani universities and was published in the Psychology, Health & Medicine journal. Research found that around 32% of Pakistani university students reported thoughts of death or self-harm in the prior two weeks, with higher rates among those facing stronger anxiety and depression symptoms [7].
In 2021, Frontiers in Public Health Journal published an online systematic review and meta-analysis about the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms among university students in Pakistan. This review found depressive symptoms among university students in Pakistan at 42.66% overall, while also calling for stronger national data and better support systems [8].
These numbers do not prove that every distressed student is suicidal. They do show one clear fact. Student mental health strain is common, and ignoring it carries a cost.
The role of shame!
Academic pressure matters. Shame matters too!
There is a difference between academic accountability and humiliation. When a student already feels fragile, a public scolding, a rigid warning, or a threat to an entire semester may hit harder than teachers or administrators expect. The student does not hear the policy. The student hears failure. The student hears, “You are finished.” This matters because shame is not a small emotion.
In 2024, the PLOS ONE Journal published a systematic review on the impact of the lived experience of humiliation and shame on self-harm and suicidality in adolescents and young people. It found links between humiliation, shame, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and suicide among adolescents and young adults [9].
Older evidence, a review study published in 2019 published by Clinical Psychology Review Journal, points in the same direction as results of this review support the link between shame and self-harm [10].
When a student feels exposed, trapped, and disgraced, their thinking narrows. Temporary problems start to look permanent. One bad result starts to feel like a ruined identity. This does not mean every disciplinary action leads to a crisis. It does mean institutions need to consider the emotional impact, not just policy compliance.
Why do students stay silent?
Students often hide distress until the risk becomes acute. They hide it because they do not want to look weak. They hide it because they fear gossip. They hide it because they think parents will panic, blame them, or pull them out of university. They hide it because they believe everyone else is coping better.
In Pakistan, stigma around mental health still shapes help-seeking. In 2024, the Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association published a cross-sectional study by Zafar et al., which included a total of 316 medical university students. Research reported that social stigma remains a major issue in attitudes toward professional mental health care [11]. When help feels socially costly, students delay support. By the time they speak, the crisis is deeper.
This is why public advice such as “be strong” often fails. Strength is not the issue. Safety is.
Better way to understand suicidal thinking!
Suicidal thinking often grows from a sense of entrapment. The student feels stuck between options that all look unbearable:
Fail the course, disappoint the family.
Speak up, risk shame.
Stay silent, keep drowning.
Take a break, fear of being left behind.
This is why outsiders often misread the warning signs. The student may still attend class. The student may still laugh with friends. The student may still post online. A crisis does not always look dramatic from the outside.
A report about suicide published on 25th March, 2025, by The World Health Organization stated that suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15 to 29-year-olds worldwide and that more than 720,000 people die due to suicide every year [4]. Young people are at real risk. Student mental health is not a side issue. It is a public health issue. The response needs to become more practical and more solution-oriented.
What students need right now
Students need clear support, not slogans.
If your thoughts are turning toward self-harm or suicide, treat that as an emergency. Tell one trusted person today. Stay with people. Leave unsafe places. Ask someone to sit with you. Go to a hospital or emergency service if the risk feels immediate.
Pakistan does have support points. Umang describes itself as a 24/7 mental health helpline run by clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, and active listeners [12]. The HEC and UNFPA National Youth Helpline, a toll-free number 0800-69457, offers psychosocial first aid, counselling, guidance, and referrals [13,14,15].
A student in crisis does not need a lecture on gratitude. A student in crisis needs fast contact, practical protection, and calm human presence.
What should families do?
Families also need a clearer role. Fear-based pressure does not produce resilience. It often produces secrecy. If your child sounds withdrawn, hopeless, ashamed, or trapped, do not start with blame. Start with questions:
Are you safe right now? Have you had thoughts of hurting yourself? Who have you told, and what do you need in the next hour? Listen first. Remove access to obvious means of self-harm. Stay close. Seek urgent professional help if the risk is high. Do not reduce the problem to faith, laziness, or “overthinking.” Those responses push students deeper into silence.
What universities should change?
Universities need to move from an inquiry culture to a prevention culture. An inquiry after a death is not enough. A fence after a crisis is not enough. A condolence notice is not enough.
A serious prevention plan should include confidential counselling units with trained staff, clear crisis referral protocols, mental health screening and check-ins for high-pressure programs, faculty training on how to address struggling students without shame, academic appeal systems before students lose a semester, hostel wardens trained to respond to distress, and peer support systems with referral pathways.
WHO, in a report about 2000-2021 Suicide data, states that evidence-based suicide prevention works at the population, group, and individual levels [16]. WHO media guidance, in a report about preventing suicide published on 12th September 2023, also urges communication that focuses on support, recovery, and help-seeking, rather than graphic detail or romanticized loss [5]. Universities should follow the same principle in their own response after a crisis.
What do teachers need to hear?
Teachers need to hear this, too. They do not need to become therapists. They do need to understand risk. A student who is missing classes, submitting poor work, or reacting emotionally to academic pressure is not always lazy or unserious. The student may be overwhelmed, depressed, sleep-deprived, bullied, or in a family crisis.
Language matters. Tone matters. Timing matters. A hard conversation delivered with dignity protects students better than a hard conversation delivered with contempt. Rules still matter. Standards still matter. Respect matters too.
What must the public conversation stop doing?
Pakistan also needs to stop treating student suicide as gossip for a few days and then move on. Video clips, rumor threads, and assigning blame don’t help students. They feed panic and shame. WHO, in a report about preventing suicide published on 12th September 2023, states that widely shared suicide stories shape public behavior and that reports focused on people who survive crises and seek help support prevention better [5].
A better public response asks harder questions: Did the campus have counseling? Did students trust it? Did teachers know how to respond? Did the institution have a safety plan? Did the student know where to turn before the crisis peaked?
Those questions save more lives than outrage alone. Students are more than attendance sheets, GPAs, warnings, and one bad semester. Your current pain is serious. It deserves action. It does not deserve silence.
Naseem, S., Munaf, S., & Bano, R. (2017). Suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, stress, and life satisfaction of medical, engineering, and social sciences students. Journal of Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad, 29(3), 422 to 427. (https://jamc.ayubmed.edu.pk/index.php/jamc/article/view/1553/1057)
Salman, M., Mustafa, Z. U., Asif, N., et al. (2023). Self-harm and suicidal ideation in Pakistani youth amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 16, 679 to 690. (https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2022.2119483)
Khan, M. N., Akhtar, P., Ijaz, S., & Waqas, A. (2021). Prevalence of depressive symptoms among university students in Pakistan. Frontiers in Public Health, 8. (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.603357)
Sadath, A., McLoughlin, A., Sheehy, K., et al. (2024). Associations between humiliation, shame, self-harm, and suicidality in adolescents and young adults: A systematic review. Psychological Medicine. (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292691)
Sheehy, K., Noureen, A., Khaliq, A., et al. (2019). An examination of the relationship between shame, guilt, and self-harm: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 73, 101779. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2019.101779)
Zafar, M., Atiq, H., Mubashir, H., et al. (2024). Attitude towards seeking professional help for mental health issues among medical students of Rawalpindi Medical University, Pakistan. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association. (https://doi.org/10.2144/fsoa-2023-0114)
