Beneficial floodwater channeling suggested

Floodwaters can be productively steered into arid areas, dry lakes and other depleted aquifers through planning, Federal Tax Ombudsman's (FTO) Coordinator Saifur Rehman said while addressing a seminar on Sunday.

"Instead of allowing excess water to rush unchecked through rivers and urban drains, controlled diversions can transform floods into an opportunity for water security and ecological restoration. To make this possible, Pakistan needs integrated flood and water management, mapping of old lakes and natural depressions, and investment in diversion channels and recharge basins. Community participation and provincial coordination are essential," he suggested.

He added that by treating floodwater as a resource rather than a threat, Pakistan can reduce disastrous losses while securing its long-term water future. Such an approach also brings environmental and economic benefits. Recharged wetlands enhance biodiversity, support fisheries and livestock grazing, and improve local livelihoods. Groundwater replenishment lowers pumping costs for farmers and strengthens resilience against droughts, he added.

He mentioned that this strategy is far more cost-effective and sustainable than repeatedly rebuilding damaged infrastructure after every flood. Reviving natural wetlands and old lake beds provides space for floodwaters to spread and slow down, reducing pressure on embankments and downstream settlements. He said these natural buffers absorb excess flows and release water gradually.

At the same time, he said, diverting floodwater to depleted aquifers through managed recharge systems can help restore falling groundwater tables, particularly in water-stressed regions of Punjab and Sindh where over-extraction has become chronic.