Climate change: Govt seeking Rs67b to fund flood protection

National plan calls for 600 projects over the next decade

ISLAMABAD:

The federal government is seeking Rs67 billion in donations from international aid agencies in a bid to fund nearly 600 projects over the next 10 years as part of a comprehensive plan to prevent damage from floods.

As Pakistan begins to feel the dual impact of climate change and population growth, floods have grown more frequent and more devastating in recent years, leading the government to feel the need to create a comprehensive plan to deal with floods as a chronic problem. The objective of the meetings on Monday was to seek funding for the National Flood Protection Plan.



Organised by Water and Power Secretary Muhammad Younus Dagha, the consultative workshop included officials from the World Bank, as well as the Federal Flood Commission, the water and power ministry, the National and Provincial Disaster Management Agencies, and provincial governments. The plan presented at the workshop includes measures to prepare for the 2015 monsoon season.

Sources said that the government is seeking Rs67 billion to implement close to 600 projects of varying sizes, all designed to protect against the impact of floods. The plan is expected to be finalised by Tuesday (today) after consultations with donors on financing.

The meetings this week are the culmination of an 18-month process of consultations among various stakeholders to finalise the plan. National Engineering Services Pakistan (Nespak) in association with Deltares, a Netherlands-based firm, have been engaged as consultants to carry out surveys and studies in an integrated manner for developing the plan. Participants will finalise proposals regarding reducing flooding, reducing susceptibility to damage in the wake of floods and mitigating flood impact on citizens. The plan is meant to incorporate the lessons learnt from recent floods.

At the meeting, Dagha pointed out that, as Pakistan’s population has grown, many smaller towns and cities have grown in size, including many close to rivers, increasing the risk of urban flooding. Dagha stated that the plan calls for a more holistic, integrated approach consisting of early warning, flood plain zoning, watershed management, reservoir operations and other measures to minimize loss of life and property.



He added that there is also a strong need for updating of flood plain mapping and emergency evacuation of high, medium and low risk areas for emergency and relief operations.

Dagha said that a reliable information system is needed to automate flood monitoring and reporting to store and retrieve required data.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13^th, 2015.