Avoiding a sequel

The havoc caused by the 2022 floods has no precedent aside from the 2010 floods. Hundreds of thousands of people have been affected and displaced, in addition to infrastructure damage, loss of livestock and crops. There are two main culprits behind this disaster: climate change and poor policies and management. The former makes us more prone to natural disasters while the latter increases the damage they cause. The water storage capacity of our three main reservoirs, Mangla, Tarbela and Chashma, has declined due to sedimentation. Furthermore, the absence of a coordinated and collaborative approach to disaster management has been on full display in the past few weeks. Had there been an increased water storage capacity, the severity of the flooding could have been reduced.

In view of the aforementioned issues, there are some steps which can be adopted to prevent further calamities. We should increase the water storage capacity through the construction of more dams and the country’s leaders ought to chalk out a national strategy in coordination with the meteorological department so that the most flood-prone areas are forewarned of any impending catastrophe. This is only possible by setting aside political differences and working in collaboration with each other towards the achievement of a common goal. Failure to do so will likely entail another such tragedy in the foreseeable future.

Muhammad Aftab Ahmad

Faisalabad