FROM 26 June to 23 July 2025, monsoon rains have caused devastations in the form of cloud bursts, deadly floods, heavy landslides and house collapses in northern and central parts of Pakistan.
As a result, over 245 people lost their lives with over 600 injured. Besides, over 845 houses fully or partially damaged and over 5,000 people have been affected. The glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs), flash floods and landslides in the hilly areas of Northern Pakistan caused these human and material losses. The unusually high percentage of rainfalls coupled with glacier lake outburst floods is becoming a growing threat for the Northern Pakistan. Even areas like Islamabad, the capital city, were flooded, causing heavy losses to property, roads, houses and even human losses. Home to more than 7,000 glaciers, Pakistan is ranked among the countries most at risk from climate change, despite contributing less than 1% to global greenhouse gas emissions. Pakistan faced very severe weather patterns which include record-breaking heat waves, droughts, floods and storms.
Unfortunately, every year during the monsoon Pakistan has to face the brunt of heavy rainfalls and resultant losses due to massive flooding. These losses include erosion of land all along the rivers, streams and nullahs, damages to crops and livestocks, destruction of houses and properties besides irreparable human losses. There is a lot of hue and cry during these occurrences, nevertheless, immediately after the monsoon is over, the governments, the responsible institutions and even the people forget the impact of floods and losses until another ocurrence in the monsoon of the following year. This process is going on for decades now without any long-term future planning and foresight. The stereotype thinking among the government circles and institutions like Ministry of Climate Change and NDMA is that, the monsoon is a natural calamity hence nothing can be done. Then all take refuge behind the climate change, not disclosing who is responsible for this in Pakistan. There are less pre-monsoon measures except warnings of rains and floods and cosmetic post flood actions. This can be calculated from the expenditures on the peace time perks and privileges of the officials of these ministries and departments and physical expenditures incurred to stop these calamities before the occurrences.
This is true that the rainfall during monsoon is a natural phenomenon but, through meticulous planning and correct identification of threat of flood, a lot can be done to channelize the rain-water of the monsoon. Metrological section forecasts the weather and quantum of rainfalls in various parts of the country much in advance for taking remedial measures by NDMA, Climate Change Ministry and Federal and Provincial governments. Why cannot the governments make arrangements on permanent basis to avoid the losses every year? There is a need for serious retrospection at all levels and to make a strategy for channelizing the rain-water which later turns into uncontrolled floods. Issuing flood warnings, visits of flood affected areas and giving meager amount of compensations to affected people is nothing more than cosmetic actions.
In connection with flood control and to avoid the losses, there has been criminal negligence of successive governments in Pakistan. This includes repeated sufferance of the people, their properties and huge infrastructural losses each year almost all over the country. As a case study the data is available about; a) monsoon flood of 2010 which caused death of 1985 people, affecting over 20% of the land area, displacing more than 20 million people, b) 2012 flooding affects 4.85 million people in Pakistan, damaging 640,000 houses and huge infrastructure, c) 2020-Karachi flooding, d) 2022-floods caused $14.9 billion in damages besides 1700 deaths. Though all these floods were caused by heavy monsoon rains, but who is responsible to disturb the natural flow of water through deforestation and choking drainage systems at least in major cities.
Unfortunately, no government has planned any mechanism to ensure effective measures to control the flood and its consequent losses. There is an immediate need to work on a mechanism for controlling the floods in Pakistan. The first and foremost requirement of this would be identification of areas for the construction of small and medium size water reservoirs and water storage dams. These water reservoirs and dams would serve four broad objectives; a) stopping the rain water from flowing into low-laying areas which cause flood and destruction, b) utilization of this stored water for agricultural purposes for remaining part of the year, c) using this water for drinking purposes, and d) generating cheap electricity to overcome the power shortages of the country.
In order to overcome and safeguard against monsoon rains and Indian water terrorism, there is a need to formulate a flood control mechanism in Pakistan under an independent body which should be free of political, provincial, ethnic or any other influence. This body should undertake emergency survey of areas where water reservoirs and water storage dams can be built, keeping in view the abovementioned considerations. This body should consist of experts of related fields who can undertake the responsibilities with determination and foresight. The body should have a national mandate for safeguarding long-term national interests of Pakistan against the weather calamities to attain two main objectives: a) survey and identify the areas where dams and reservoirs can be built with least possible efforts and expenditures, and b) subsequent construction of water storages and dams for their utilization for irrigation, drinking water and hydroelectric projects.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
