THE Ministry of Climate Change, Federal Flood Commission and their partners including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Green Climate Fund and Coca-Cola Foundation must be credited for launching an ambitious project – Recharge Pakistan – that will strengthen flood resilience and improve water security in some of Pakistan’s most vulnerable communities. The initiative, inaugurated at the Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services, Islamabad on Tuesday by Romina Khurshid, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination represents the largest investment to date in an ecosystem-based approach to flood and water resources management at the national level.
The super floods of 2010 and flash floods of 2022, which played havoc with human lives, infrastructure and agriculture, brought to the fore the need for a proactive strategy to tackle the increasing risks of environmental disasters. Because of rising temperature and the accompanying increase in precipitation, Pakistan continues to remain in the world’s top five vulnerable countries on the Climate Risk Index. There has been a marked increase in the occurrence of floods, landslides and drought events, which are surpassing the capacity of the country’s existing water infrastructure to prevent large-scale economic damages and loss of human life and in this backdrop integrated flood risk management has become a national priority for the Government of Pakistan. Recharge Pakistan will reduce flooding hazards for more than 50,000 hectares; provide families, businesses and farms access to clean, fresh water year-round; improve the livelihoods of 687,000 people and indirectly benefit more than seven million people across the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh. The core interventions of the project include restoration of degraded forests in DI Khan district, restoration of flow paths in Ramak Watershed and Manchar Lake (Qambar Shahdadkot District), and building green infrastructure projects in DI Khan, Ramak, Manchar, and Chakar Lehri and maximize flood reduction benefits to vulnerable communities. Recharge Pakistan will introduce farmers to agricultural practices that can better withstand future climate scenarios and support small businesses in providing alternative revenue generating opportunities. The project will also reduce ecosystem degradation from the traditional livelihoods directly dependent upon natural resources. Recharge Pakistan has the potential to bring about a significant change in socio-economic landscape in the regions where it is planned to be implemented over the next seven years. Involvement of parliamentarians, local communities and global partners offers a ray of hope for its timely execution and as per original spirit. Local communities are expected to participate enthusiastically in implementation of these interventions as they are the ultimate beneficiaries. They would surely benefit from these nature-based solutions to mitigate flooding—including reduced erosion and landslide risk—as increased vegetation stabilizes the soils, enhancing the recharge of groundwater supply and improving the base flow of rivers and springs in the dry season. These measures ensure that local communities receive stronger protection from drought, as well as flooding. Successful implementation of the project could also mean availability of sustainable livelihoods for them. In view of the nature of the climate risks facing most parts of Pakistan, this project needs to be expanded to include more areas and communities. It is, therefore, for the Ministry of Climate Change to prepare feasible projects including those for hilly areas of Punjab, KP, Azad Kashmir and GB, which could generate interest for funding and assistance by global partners. As pointed out by Ambassador Blome of the United States, Pakistan and the US have a long history of partnership in water management dating back to 1960s. Their collaboration in projects like Mangla, Tarbela, Gomal Zam and Satpara dams constituted more than 95 percent of Pakistan’s water storage capacity, generation of clean energy, mitigation of floods, and bolstering of Pakistan’s economy. We hope such partners would be forthcoming if proper projects are presented to them for implementation.
