LAHORE – The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the government to launch an immediate nationwide program for constructing rainwater harvesting dams to protect Pakistan from recurring floods and looming droughts.
Although facing devastating floods, Pakistan is among the most water-stressed countries in the world.
In Pakistan, per capita water availability has declined drastically from 5,600 cubic meters in 1951 to 860 cubic meters in 2025, which is far below the international water scarcity threshold.
LCCI President Mian Abuzar Shad, Senior Vice President Engineer Khalid Usman, and Vice President Shahid Nazir Chaudhry stated that a huge quantity of rainwater flows into the sea every year without being utilised. At the same time, the country faces crippling droughts in arid regions.
They stated that this dual challenge of devastating floods and acute water shortages represents a national tragedy that must be addressed through urgent, practical, and cost-effective solutions.
Mian Abuzar Shad said that rainwater harvesting dams are the most immediate and viable solution to save Pakistan from water insecurity and climate shocks. He said that the 2022 floods inflicted losses of over $30 billion and displaced more than 33 million people, while the 2025 floods have already claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed infrastructure, agricultural land, crops and livestock worth billions of dollars.
“If we fail to store rainwater through small and medium-sized dams, we will continue to suffer the same devastation every year. With proper planning, the same water that today wreaks havoc could instead become a source of prosperity”, he said.
Engineer Khalid Usman stated that rainwater harvesting dams will not only mitigate flood losses but also recharge groundwater, support agriculture, provide drinking water, and create livelihood opportunities in rural areas. He said that such projects are less time-consuming and less costly compared to mega dams, yet their cumulative impact on water security and climate resilience is extraordinary.
Shahid Nazir Chaudhry said that these dams can also attract international climate financing through the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility and World Bank programs.
He said that constructing rainwater harvesting dams across Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab’s Potohar region, Sindh’s arid zones and Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK, Pakistan could store an additional 6 to 7 million acre feet of water, almost equal to the combined storage capacity of Tarbela and Mangla.
