Staying Afloat Amidst Floods: Learning from the Dutch

Poor policies, inadequate funds and misplaced priorities undermine the country's ability to build a resilient future

This piece is being written in a country where nearly 26% of the land is situated below sea level and almost 60% of the territory is flood prone. However, when it rains here, people remain calm, unlike in Pakistan where heavy downpours set us on the edge and we brace ourselves for headlines like “unprecedented floods ravage Pakistan”. In the wake of countless lives lost, homes erased, and livelihoods shattered, an unsettling silence prevails. Each year, the thread of hope becomes more fragile as we cling onto it and pray for the rain to end and spare lives from its ruthless grasp.

In a parallel universe, perhaps hope would have sufficed, but with the worsening impacts of climate change in our world, we no longer have the luxury to deem such events as ‘anomalies’. Rather, it is the new norm and so we need to act, just like the Netherlands did after the North Sea Flood of 1953 that claimed the lives of 1,836 people. The Dutch were quick to identify the deteriorating conditions of the dikes as one of the main reasons for this scale of destruction and within 9 months, all dikes across the country had been rehabilitated. With one of the strongest sea defencesystems in place today, Netherlands continues to test and strengthen its infrastructure to withstand the threats posed by increasing land subsidence and rising mean sea level. In addition to these modern engineering solutions, the country has also demonstrated how flows can simply be embraced through its Room for the Riverproject. By relocating the residents in these regions to higher grounds, the Dutch government has prepared itself for safe periodic flooding.

If a country like the Netherlands has successfully managed to stay afloat (quite literally), then what is stopping Pakistan? With the right political will and sincerity to ensure the protection and prosperity of the people of Pakistan, we too can prevent these recurring flooding events. While it is indeed unfortunate that Pakistan is being disproportionately impacted by climate change, despite being a minimal contributor, the country cannot gain much from mere global sympathies and aid. We need to draw strength and inspiration from countries like the Netherlands. One may argue that the Netherlands has become a pioneer in managing its water resources through substantial investment in research and development over the years, and with the ongoing economic and political crisis in Pakistan, we do not have the liberty to design and test innovative solutions at the national scale. However, that cannot be an excuse for not implementing proven strategies. To prevent and manage floods, Pakistan does not require state of the art technology or foreign expertise. The topography already offers natural sites for storing excess water. There is a pressing need to explore and map these sites to construct storage reservoirs and dams.

Additionally, adopting nature-based solutions such as the use of wetlands to divert and infiltrate excess water can be easily implemented. Solutions such as these will also recharge our aquifers and compensate for the ongoing overexploitation of groundwater resources.

It is truly heartbreaking to have witnessed brilliant young individuals successfully complete their graduate studies in challenging fields such as hydro-informatics, flood risk and groundwater management, only to return to a country that does not value their expertise. Incredible potential is being held back due to inadequate funds and misplaced priorities of our governmental departments. Given the opportunity, these subject experts can apply their knowledge and skills to develop flood inundation models and robust early warning systems, based on existing meteorological and hydrological data. These systems can then be used to issue alerts to authorities who can ensure timely evacuation and take other pre-emptive measures to limit the impact.

Among other factors, regressive mindsets and shortsightedness have driven us to this critical point, but for now, I, too, will hold onto this fragile thread of hope and pray for the people of Pakistan. May we all strive together as a nation with utmost sincerity, as our great founder Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah reassured us, “If you will work in co-operation, forgetting the past, burying the hatchet, you are bound to succeed.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 8^th, 2023.

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