Sat Mar 08 05:02:42 UTC 2025: ## Pakistan’s “Monsoon Brides”: Climate Change Fuels Rise in Child Marriages
**KHAN MOHAMMAD MALLAH, SINDH, PAKISTAN** – The devastating 2022 floods in Pakistan have triggered a surge in child marriages, particularly in the impoverished Sindh province, according to NGOs working on the ground. Desperation, fueled by the destruction of livelihoods and widespread poverty, is driving families to marry off their young daughters, often for a meager sum.
The practice, dubbed “monsoon brides” by aid organizations, is not a resurgence of tradition, but a desperate response to economic ruin. The floods decimated agricultural lands, leaving families with no income and facing mounting debt. For many, marrying off their daughters becomes a means of survival, securing a small payment to feed remaining family members.
Asifa*, a 15-year-old mother, recounts her experience. Her family, once rice farmers, lost everything in the floods. Unable to afford to feed Asifa and her siblings, her parents arranged her marriage at the age of 13. Her husband, burdened by debt incurred from the bride price, is unable to support them. Asifa’s story is tragically common in Khan Mohammad Mallah village, where 45 cases of child marriage were recorded last year alone by Sujag Sansar, an NGO combating child marriage.
Mashooque Birhmani, founder of Sujag Sansar, notes a sharp increase in child marriages in May and June 2022 – before the monsoon season – suggesting the practice was undertaken in anticipation of further devastation. This contrasts sharply with pre-flood conditions where child marriage was rare.
While Pakistan has laws against child marriage, setting the legal age at 18, the economic devastation caused by the floods is overriding these legal protections. The climate crisis, with increasingly erratic and severe weather patterns, is exacerbating poverty and fueling the crisis. This is not isolated to Sindh; anecdotal evidence suggests a nationwide increase. UNICEF warns the floods could reverse years of progress in reducing child marriage, anticipating an 18% rise.
Salwa*, a 40-year-old mother, recounts marrying off her 12-year-old daughter in 2010 after similar flood devastation, a decision she deeply regrets.
Sujag Sansar is working to combat this issue through community-based initiatives, engaging religious leaders, parents, and girls to raise awareness and provide alternatives. They offer training and support to women to help them achieve financial independence. Samina*, married at 13, now hopes to use her crafting skills to create a better future for her daughters, ensuring they escape the cycle of poverty and forced marriage.
Despite government investigations downplaying the link between the floods and the rise in child marriages, NGOs warn that the underlying issues—poverty and lack of education for girls—remain unaddressed. The temporary decline in child marriages observed after the investigations may not reflect lasting change. The ongoing climate crisis continues to threaten the progress made in combating child marriage in Pakistan.
First Piper 