Credit: AP Photo/Zahid Hussain, File
The devastating impacts of flood of 2022 are still there in Pakistan. There are many practical solutions to mitigate the challenges and problems being caused by the flood in the country including protection of water’s right of way, empowerment of local government and communities, Initiation of flood management schemes and the like.
What are the steps to overcome the impacts of recent floods in Pakistan?
Here are the steps to overcome the ipmact of recent floods in Pakiatan:
a) Protect water’s right of way and nothing that obstructs water flow should be allowed to be constructed: There are many illegal structures and encroachments that have been built on river banks, flood prone zones and storm water drains, which obstruct the smooth flow of water during heavy rain and floods. The Government of Pakistan should take notice of such structures and should demolish them that create hindrances on the way to smooth flow of water during floods.
b) Empower local government and communities as climate vulnerability is fundamentally a local problem: Local government is the most important mechanism in Pakistan, which listens to the woes of grassroots communities. In the event of devastating floods, strong and effective local government mechanisms play a constructive role. Pakistan should strengthen its local government structures, which would, ultimately, listen to the woes of local people struggling through floods devastation.
c) Initiation of stable flood management schemes and construction of water storage reservoirs: Both "stable flood management schemes" and "construction of water storage reservoirs" are important factors in mitigating the bad effects of floods. Similarly, these mechanisms also protect the country from future devastations caused by the floods. Pakistan should work upon these mechanisms in order to ensure safety from floods and high intensity rains.
d) Urban sprawl and unnoticed construction of infrastructure should be taken into account through mutual cooperation of all stakeholders: All the public and private stakeholders should be encouraged for mutual cooperation in mitigating the bad effects of floods. Through their mutual cooperation a highly resilient community would be formed. Similarly, the government, too, should make policies to take strict actions against unhindered urban sprawl and unnoticed infrastructures' construction.
e) The concept of sponge cities should be materialized thereby replacing impermeable surfaces with permeable one: With the coming of modern construction standards, almost all the cities in Pakistan are becoming highly impermeable. These types of surfaces do not alow the water to get absorbed in the surfaces. So, in the event of floods these create problems. Pakistan, owing to this reason, should introduce the concept of sponge cities which would alow the water to get absorbed in the surface of earth. Moreover, it would also maintain the water level optimized and does not create water shortage problems.
Conclusion: Flood of 2022 proved fatal for Pakistan. Its remedial measures including construction of water storage reservoirs, mutual cooperation of public-private stakeholders and the introduction of sponge cities concept. Through these measures it is assumed that Pakistan could overcome the devastating impacts of floods.
