AFTER THE FLOODS

Stories of Loss, Resistance & Accountability

In 2022, a historic heatwave triggered devastating flooding across Pakistan—the worst in the country’s living memory. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), around 33 million people were affected, including nearly 8 million displaced (Ministry of Planning Development & Special Initiatives 2022). Only three years later, another wave of heavy rains washed away thousands more bodies, homes, and crops. Why was Pakistan hit so hard twice in just three years? This region, with its glaciers in the Himalayas and the high temperature differences throughout the country is especially vulnerable to global warming. So despite contributing less than 0.1 percent of global emissions, Pakistan ranks among the countries most affected by climate change (Germanwatch 2026. „Climate Risk Index 2026).

The series of events are curated and organized by Darya Dost or Friends of the River (Urdu: Darya: River; Dost: Friend) - a collective of friends spread across the globe. It is an endeavour to connect academics, artists, activists, and students with the communities living along the rivers — to listen to their stories, feel their worlds, and share them globally in pursuit of justice. With their ongoing community events in Berlin, the initiative not only opens up a constant dialogue between the communities in Pakistan and Europe but also collects donations for trusted grassroots efforts in Pakistan such as Mahwari Justice, Madat, Medico International and ECCHR.

Thanks for your support!

In light of the devastating floods affecting large parts of Pakistan in 2025 (again), a first event aimed to raise awareness, build solidarity, and mobilize support for affected communities. Through the screening of the documentary "When the Floods Come" — which captures the scale and human impact of the 2022 floods — we seeked to highlight the growing urgency of climate-related disasters in South Asia.

The event program included a performance by Amna Mawaz Khan (@amnadabbadoo) who has trained in classical bharatanatyam as well as performances by Shikoh (@dshikoh) and Neroli (@rahema.z). 🥗 Food by Kun (@kun_the_beginning)

28.02.26

venue: Subkontinent Berlin, Donaustr. 84

In a second event on February 28, 2026, co-hosted by Critical Pakistan at Subkontinent, we held space for a panel discussion entitled “Drying Cultures of the Indus: A discussion on the strained ecologies of Sindhu Darya”.

The event also screened the film Natari by Jawad Sharif - a Pakistani filmmaker, producer, and activist. Natari (2021) was part of the official selection of the Climate Crisis Film Festival 2021, held in line with the COP26 in Glasgow, UK. The documentary film tells the story of the conflict caused by climate migration, the continued use of the illegalized bullho net by the powerful, and its impact on local fisher communities and families such as that of Ayoub Sehto in the endangered Indus Delta region.

The panel was moderated by Sadia Bajwa (@sadiasoorej), scholar of modern South Asian history at the Institute for Asian and African Studies, Humboldt University Berlin and hosted:

• Mushtaq Gaadi, anthropologist and lecturer at the Quaid I Azam University Islamabad.

• Hira Rasool (@hirasool), an architect and researcher of poetics and politics around Sindh and Sindhu Darya. Her spatial practice draws on situated knowledge traditions and design research.

• Sohaib Riaz (@sohaib_r_bodla), a researcher in anthropology at University of Munich. He grew up close to Satluj river in Pakistani punjab and has been following the impacts of Indus Water Treaty on communities around Satluj River.

• Abdul Waheed, an expert on river deltaic regions, with a particular focus on the Indus Delta. He is a doctoral candidate at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, where his research examines water governance, political ecology, and climate resilience in delta communities.

Darya Dost — “Friends of the River” — is a collective born from love, grief, and responsibility toward the waters that have sustained life for centuries. From the five rivers of Punjab to the Spree in Berlin, they seek to build bridges of empathy and action — to restore balance, dignity, and connection where water has been wounded. Through storytelling, poetry, art, and dialogue, the members document their struggles, and imagine ways of repair. The collective comprises volunteers situated in different parts of the world, who are connected by their shared values in collective action for climate activism & community-building.