Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah announced plans to restore old waterways to manage flood water through natural gravity systems, addressing the aftermath of the 2022 floods and ongoing climate change impacts. Speaking with the Ambassador of the Netherlands, Mrs. Henny de Vries, during her visit to the CM House on Tuesday, Shah emphasized the importance of reviving natural waterways to enable efficient rainwater disposal.
“In light of the devastating floods of 2022 and the ongoing challenges posed by climate change, our government is committed to restoring natural waterways,” Shah stated.”This initiative aims to ensure that rainwater is disposed of naturally, mitigating the risk of future flooding.” The meeting underscored the need for international cooperation and support in tackling environmental challenges. Ambassador de Vries expressed her support for the initiative and discussed potential areas of collaboration between Sindh and the Netherlands in water management and climate resilience.
Murad Shah emphasized the need to strengthen our canal system, irrigation network, and drainage system in response to the floods of 2010, 2011, and 2022, in order to mitigate heavy damage from flash floods or riverine floods. The visiting Ambassador said that the heavy rains that caused floods in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh were the result of climate change, therefore the onward development needed to make climate resilient. At this, the CM said that his government was working to restore natural waterways so that flood water could be disposed of in its natural gravity.
Chief minister and the Dutch Ambassador discussed investment opportunities in Sindh. MrsHenny de Vries said that the Dutch Agriculture Bank was interested in advancing loans for agriculture development. She added that flood-resilient crops were needed for the ongoing climate change era. The CM thanked the ambassador and said that his government’s Investment department would contact the Dutch Embassy and discuss the modalities for agricultural support. The CM offered Dutch firms to come over and invest in wastewater treatment plants in Karachi.
The treated water would be used for industrial purposes and investment in the treatment of water would give good returns. The Dutch Ambassador urged the CM to share the list of the projects for Dutch investors. The ambassador also offered technical and financial support for livestock and fisheries development in Sindh. The CM directed the provincial Investment department to start meetings with the Netherlands ambassador and her team so that investment could be brought in.
The CM presented ajrak made by Special Children as a gift which she lauded a lot.
