A life nearly lost to heatstroke: Experts say canopy trees could help save thousands more
PESHAWAR, (APP): Under the blazing afternoon sun in a small village of Nowshera, 67-year-old Irshad Khan was doing what he had done for decades by supervising construction work alongside his sons.
It was just after noon at Amankot village when the heat became unbearable, and moments later, he collapsed.
His younger son, Shahab Khan, recalled the painful scene and said. “My father was perfectly fine in the morning. We had breakfast together before heading to work. Suddenly, he became dizzy and fell unconscious.”
The family rushed to revive him, splashing water on his face from a nearby clay pot. But when blood began pouring from his nose and foam appeared around his mouth, panic set in for the poor family.
“We bundled him into a vehicle immediately and rushed him to the nearest hospital,” Shahab said, still shaken by the memory.
At Pabbi hospital, doctors fought to stabilize the elderly patient and finally succeeded.
According to Dr. Aziz Khan, head of the ENT Department, poor Irshad had suffered a severe heatstroke that caused a nasal blood vessel to rupture.
“When he arrived, his condition was critical,” Dr. Aziz explained. “He had heavy bleeding, throat swelling, vomiting, and other symptoms associated with extreme heat exposure. Fortunately, he was brought to the hospital in time.”
For doctors across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Irshad’s case is becoming increasingly familiar in the wake of rising temperature.
As temperatures soar across Pakistan’s plains and even reach mountainous regions such as Swat, Chitral, Hunza and Gilgit, heatwaves are emerging as one of the most dangerous consequences of climate change.
The elderly, children, outdoor labourers and low-income families are among the most vulnerable.
“Heatwaves can be deadly, particularly for older people whose immunity is already weakened,” said Dr. Aziz. “Direct exposure to extreme sun heat can cause organ damage, dehydration, unconsciousness and even death.”
This week’s intense heat forced many residents across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh to remain indoors. Yet thousands of daily wage earners had little choice but to continue working under the scorching sun.
For workers like Irshad Khan, staying home means losing a day’s income.
Environmental experts warned that such incidents are not isolated medical emergencies but symptoms of a much larger problem.
Dr. Afsar Khan, Director Climate Change at the Environmental Protection Agency Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said Pakistan remains among the countries most vulnerable to climate change despite no significant role in global greenhouse gas emissions.
“Rising temperatures are linked to fossil fuel burning, vehicle emissions, industrial pollution and large-scale deforestation,” he said. “If these trends continue, parts of South Asia could become increasingly difficult to inhabit in the coming decades.”
Pakistan’s vast glacier system, one of the largest outside the polar regions, is particularly vulnerable to global warming. Scientists fear accelerated melting could disrupt water supplies, agriculture and ecosystems that millions depend upon.
Former KP environment minister Wajid Ali Khan believed the consequences of environmental degradation are already visible in KP.
He pointed to the disappearance of native shade trees such as Shisham, Siris and Peepal, once common across Peshawar and surrounding districts.
“These trees acted as natural air conditioners,” he said. “Their loss has contributed significantly to rising temperatures and worsening air quality.”
Historical accounts described Peshawar as a city surrounded by lush greenery and forests. Today, much of that natural canopy has vanished under the pressure of rapid urbanization and development.
As temperatures rise, residents increasingly feel the absence of those trees.
