After the Floods Why Pakistan Needs Canals, Not Just Dams
After the Floods Why Pakistan Needs Canals, Not Just Dams During the 2025 monsoon, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab face a tragic yet familiar situation. The number of deaths is significantly lower than the 2022 floods. This indicates that early warning systems and rescue efforts, such as Rescue 1122 and the Pakistan Army, are effective in saving lives. However, the damage to property and land remains extensive. Roads, homes, and crops have been destroyed, with over 29,000 people displaced and thousands of homes affected across the country. Many have lost everything. This raises a serious question: if we can save lives, why can’t we prevent this destruction?
The solution does not lie in debates over large dams, such as the Kalabagh Dam. Instead, it depends on forgotten flood canal systems that were once built to manage excess river water.
Over the years, we have blocked, ignored, or removed these canals. The Kalabagh Dam is located far from the flooded areas. The most severe flooding occurred in the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab rivers. These rivers are unsuitable for large dams because of their geography. Relying on Kalabagh as a solution for these floods is misleading. It shifts focus away from more effective, local solutions.
Historically, flood canals were used to direct excess river water into safe, open land. These canals served as pressure valves to protect towns and farms. For instance, in the Indus basin, including the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej, such systems have long mitigated floods by channelling water away from populated areas. However, urban expansion has now covered many of them. Valuable farmland and flood zones have been converted into housing, industrial areas, and illegal settlements. This encroachment has exacerbated flooding, as rapid urbanisation reduces permeable surfaces and blocks natural drainage, leading to higher flood risks in cities and rural areas alike. The canals did not fail; we simply removed them.
Provincial governments are responsible for water governance. However, they have allowed this destruction to happen. They prioritised short-term financial gains and political interests over long-term safety. Meanwhile, people began using more groundwater, often because the availability of surface water was unreliable. This resulted in communities becoming less interested in maintaining local water systems, such as small reservoirs or canals.
Climate change has led to heavier rainfall, but the deeper problem is the weak system we have established. The floods of August 2025 highlighted this issue. Provinces like Sindh received flood warnings, but the real crisis occurred in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where significant infrastructure has been damaged. In those regions, the government was unable to divert water before the rivers overflowed. Evacuation efforts saved lives, but homes and farms in flood-prone areas could not be saved. The Army’s rescue missions helped, but they are not a long-term solution. They treat the result, not the cause.
What Must Be Done?
Reclaim Floodplains and Rebuild Canals
This must be done urgently. Provinces and local governments must protect old flood canal routes. Construction must stop in these zones. Illegal buildings may need to be moved. This is politically difficult but necessary. This is an established international norm to protect rivers and floodplains. Pakistan must do the same.
Build Village Reservoirs
Small water reservoirs in villages can help store rainwater for future use. This helps during dry seasons and reduces flood pressure. It also supports groundwater recharge. Studies show that such reservoirs in Pakistan have boosted agriculture, raised water tables, and mitigated droughts in local communities. Each village needs to set aside a small amount of land. The benefits will be worth the cost. Provincial departments must support this work.
Follow Sustainable Development
Pakistan’s current development model is harmful. Building in flood zones is dangerous. Actual climate action means building less in risky areas. This will need strong investment and fewer flashy projects. Politicians must face a tricky question: how can they win votes if they build less? But avoiding change is more costly.
Water is a provincial responsibility. Still, when provinces fail, the whole country suffers. It is wrong to blame the federal government or the NDMA. Local governments must act.
A hard truth is that water security is not a national priority in Pakistan. After the floods end, public interest fades quickly. The media shifts focus to politics or celebrity news. This pattern from crisis to forgetting is our biggest weakness.
Is there hope? Yes. Change is still possible. But it will not start in Islamabad. It must begin with people. Citizens must make better choices. Do not buy land in flood zones. Ask leaders to protect canals. Support village reservoirs. Political parties must include real water solutions in their plans. Only when the public demands change will governments respond. Water governance must take precedence over short-term politics.
The 2025 floods were a warning. We proved we can save lives. Now we must also save homes, farms, and the future. We must stop covering old solutions. We must protect floodplains and rebuild canals. We must treat water safety as a permanent priority, not just for headlines, but for future generations.
Floods will return. The only question is: will we be ready?
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this article are exclusively those of the author and do not reflect the official stance, policies, or perspectives of the Platform.
