Karachi's Climate Apartheid: The Electricity Divide in Pakistan's Economic Capital
Scorching Heat, Divided Power: How Pakistan's Largest City Exposes a System Built on Inequality
As temperatures soar past 42 degrees Celsius in Pakistan's largest city, the reality of Karachi's "climate apartheid" becomes impossible to ignore. Whilst the wealthy retreat to air-conditioned havens in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and Clifton, the city's most affluent neighbourhoods, millions of residents in working-class areas endure sweltering heat with just two hours of electricity per day.
The disparity is a matter of life and death. In 2024, the International Monetary Fund approved $1.3 billion in climate-linked funding for Pakistan to support adaptation and resilience efforts, yet the benefits remain concentrated amongst those who need them least.
The Two-Tier Reality
The contrast between Karachi's haves and have-nots is starkest during the city's increasingly brutal heatwaves. Some residents, like Rahim in Bhutta Village, reported only two hours of electricity in a full day last month. In stark contrast, affluent areas such as Clifton and Defense Housing Authority (DHA) remained largely unaffected by power outages, with many homes powered by private solar panels or diesel generators.
This disparity reflects a systematic approach to power distribution that prioritises commercial considerations over human need. K-Electric, the city's sole power distributor, insists the disparity is not based on class. "The load-shedding schedule is purely determined on a commercial basis," said Bilal Memon, a spokesperson for the utility. "Areas with higher theft and lower bill recovery face longer outages."
The Numbers Behind the Suffering
The statistics paint a troubling picture. 71% of KE's network continues to receive uninterrupted power supply. These are areas where bills are paid on time and electricity theft is low. The remaining areas include regions where up to 90% of electricity is stolen and bills against actual consumption are unpaid. Areas with this profile account for about 25% of the network and receive 14 hours of electricity supply every day.
Yet this narrative obscures the underlying structural inequalities. Pakistan's National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) confirmed in its latest State of Industry Report (2023) that Karachi faces some of the highest transmission and distribution losses among major cities ā a result of illegal connections, aging infrastructure, and weak governance.
The impact on health is devastating. Hospitals across the city, including the government-run Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), saw a spike in heat-related illnesses. "We had nearly a thousand patients last year who came in with heatstroke," said Dr. Irfan Siddiqui, head of JPMC's emergency department, citing a rise in cases of dehydration, food poisoning and heat exhaustion this year.
The Economic Engine Held Hostage
The irony is profound. More than 90 percent of Pakistan's international trade flows through Karachi, a city of over 20 million people and the country's economic engine. But despite its centrality to Pakistan's economy, the city's basic infrastructure, especially in its low-income neighborhoods, is chronically neglected.
This neglect comes at a tremendous cost. Karachi Chamber representative Tanveer Barry highlighted that KE's per-unit cost of Rs11.02/kWh is 19% higher than the Rs9.25/kWh average cost for other Discos, attributing the disparity to inefficiencies in KE's power plants.
The Geography of Privilege
The city's most expensive areas tell a different story entirely. Defence Housing Authority (DHA): DHA stands as a paragon of prestige and opulence in Karachi's residential landscape. It offers meticulously planned, secure living, cutting-edge amenities, and top-tier real estate options. Clifton: Clifton represents another high-end neighborhood celebrated for its premium real estate values, proximity to the sea, and opulent housing choices.
These areas, where The authority is spread over 8,852 acres (35.82 km2) and provides civic facilities to millions of residents, enjoy reliable power supplies that shield residents from the harsh realities faced by the majority of Karachi's population.
A Climate Crisis Made Worse
The situation is deteriorating rapidly. Karachi is among the world's ten fastest-warming megacities, according to urban climate assessments by the United Nations Environment Program. The city has warmed at nearly double Pakistan's national average, with temperatures rising by approximately 0.34Ā°C per decade since 1960.
The city's environmental degradation compounds the problem. The causes are well documented: unchecked urbanization, the destruction of green spaces, and widespread use of concrete that traps heat. Karachi lost over 20 percent of its tree cover between 2008 and 2019.
The Human Cost
For residents like Fazal Rahim, a 48-year-old mason from Keamari, the daily struggle is about survival. "It's still unbearably hot and there's no electricity either," Rahim told Arab News. "Our home turns into a hell, the children cry and heat rashes break out on their skin".
The gendered impact is particularly severe. "There is a segment, large segment of population, which is more impacted than the others. And then on top of it, if I put the gender lens on, the women are more impacted because culturally, they do not have access to the open spaces," said Karachi-based climate expert Afia Salam.
Recent Developments and False Promises
K-Electric has made recent announcements about improving service. Timely bill payments on part of the customers and K-Electric's continued efforts to reduce electricity theft have resulted in a number of areas in Karachi gaining the status of load-shed exempt. However, these improvements remain marginal and concentrated in areas that were already relatively well-served.
The company claims progress, but the reality on the ground tells a different story. K-Electric's claim of 71% power feeders as loadshedding free in the city has been wrong, according to legal challenges filed by civil society groups.
The Heat Emergency
The crisis has reached emergency proportions. Pakistan is currently facing a devastating heatwave that is inflicting widespread suffering and strain on both lives and infrastructure across the country. In Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, temperatures have soared above 40 degrees Celsius for an extended period, accompanied by stifling humidity, making conditions unbearable for its residents.
The death toll is staggering. The situation has exacerbated existing health risks, with around 450 deaths reported in the city over the past four days due to heat-related causes, as confirmed by a leading NGO on Wednesday.
The System's Cruel Logic
The current system creates a vicious cycle. KE CFO Aamir Ghaziani denied load shedding in industrial areas, stating it is limited to high-loss areas with significant power theft. He claimed that industries in Karachi are exempt from load shedding. This approach effectively punishes the poorest communities twice ā first through inadequate infrastructure investment, then through power cuts justified by the resulting system failures.
A Tale of Two Cities
The contrast could not be starker. Twelve kilometers from Rahim's baking slum, Dr. Navaira Ali Bangash lives in comfort, her home equipped with air conditioners and backup power systems. "We are probably the most privileged people who have air-conditioning installed at our homes, offices and even in our cars," she said. "But then there are those underprivileged people... who cannot even afford basic fans".
The Climate Justice Imperative
What emerges is a picture of deliberate design rather than unfortunate circumstance. The electricity distribution system in Karachi reflects and reinforces the city's profound inequalities. Pakistan is ranked among the top ten countries most vulnerable to climate change, according to the Global Climate Risk Index by Germanwatch. Nearly 45 percent of its population lives below the poverty line, per the World Bank.
The current approach to power distribution effectively creates what advocates term "climate apartheid" ā a system where the wealthy remain insulated from environmental shocks whilst the poor bear the brunt of climate impacts.
Conclusion
The solution requires more than technical fixes. The policies being made don't reflect the ground realities," said Fatima Majeed, an activist working with coastal communities affected by rising sea levels and heat. "The people for whom these policies are intended are rarely consulted".
As Pakistan grapples with its climate future, Karachi's electricity crisis serves as a stark reminder that climate adaptation without social justice is not adaptation at all ā it is abandonment. The city's experience demonstrates that in the face of climate change, inequality is not just unfair ā it is deadly.
The question facing Pakistan's leaders is simple: will they continue to preside over a system that condemns millions to suffer in darkness whilst the privileged remain cool and comfortable? Or will they recognise that true climate resilience requires justice ā and that justice begins with ensuring that all citizens, regardless of their postcode or purchasing power, have access to the basic services that make life bearable in an increasingly hostile climate?
The answer will determine not just the fate of Karachi's residents, but the moral character of Pakistan's response to the climate crisis.
References
Arab News Pakistan (2025) - "As Karachi heats up, class and access divide city into a 'climate apartheid'"
Inside Climate News (2025) - "Two Suns, One City: Karachi's Dueling Realities in a Warming World"
Business Standard (2024) - "Heatwave crisis in Pakistan: Over 450 lives lost as Karachi swelters"
Pakistan's National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) State of Industry Report (2023)
Pakistan Economic Survey 2024-25
Amnesty International 2025 report on climate disasters in Pakistan