Pakistan's flood mitigation crisis

Climate change is a relentless force, which combines with governance gaps and public neglect, to repeatedly expose Pakistan to catastrophic flooding. The 2010 and 2022 floods caused massive damage. Millions of people and the struggling economy were still recovering from the 2022 floods when the country was battered by floods again this year. While it is impossible to predict exactly when the next flood will strike, it is obvious that Pakistan still lacks an effective flood mitigation strategy.

Pakistan has policies for flood management, but a lack of implementation means that the country's flood resilience capabilities remain grossly inadequate. It is unfortunate that Pakistan has become a hotspot for climate change despite having an economic footprint which remains too modest to significantly impact global emissions. Pakistan also has little influence over the drivers of global warming such as the world's continued reliance on fossil fuels. However, there is a lot Pakistan can do to strengthen its national flood resilience.

Despite recurrent seasonal inundations, little has been done to make infrastructure resistant to water. Many poorly constructed or unplanned buildings suffer damage during heavy rains, causing avoidable economic losses and human suffering. Roads, bridges, schools and hospitals must be retrofitted to better withstand floodwater. Doing this work is not inexpensive, but it certainly costs less than trying to repeatedly repair or rebuild badly damaged or destroyed infrastructure.

Repairing weak embankments, preventing encroachment of vulnerable floodplains and putting in place community-level water storage structures can capture excess runoff in rural areas and help avert much damage.

This lack of proactive mitigation reflects a broader failure to prioritise resilience. As much of the flood response remains reactive, it then remains unable to contend with the magnitude of damage caused by inadequate preparedness.

Floods don't just inundate rural areas; they regularly wreak havoc in major cities too. This year, cities like Karachi and Lahore faced severe urban flooding. Blocked drains, often clogged with plastic waste, worsen flooding even during moderate rainfall. Addressing the plastic menace is therefore both an environmental and a flood mitigation imperative.

Equally urgent is the need to provide drainage infrastructure to underserved communities in sprawling informal settlements. Many urban and peri-urban slums lack even basic stormwater channels, leaving residents disproportionately exposed to flooding. Prioritising drainage development in marginalised areas is not only a disaster management necessity but also a matter of social justice, improving living conditions and helping prevent post-flood public health crises.

Floods also unleash significant medical challenges. Stagnant water breeds serious diseases such as diarrhea, cholera and malaria, placing additional strain on the country's already fragile and resource-starved healthcare system. Investing in flood-resilient infrastructure, floodwater storage and drainage would not only prevent economic losses, but also help safeguard the health of struggling communities.

As climate change intensifies rainfall, accelerates glacial melt and raises sea levels in coastal areas, flooding events will become worse. The government, civil society and private sector must collaborate to make flood resilience a national priority. Retrofitting existing structures, clearing and upgrading drainage, reducing plastic pollution and providing essential infrastructure to vulnerable communities are achievable steps that can make a tangible difference.

Inaction is not an option. Pakistan's flood seasons have already become increasingly unpredictable and destructive. By prioritising resilience over reaction and simultaneously addressing structural and systemic vulnerabilities, Pakistan can reduce the human and economic toll of floods. The time for complacency has passed. Flood resilience must now be pursued on a war footing.