Fix, expand, build: PM approves 5-year flood management strategy

• PM Shehbaz orders immediate implementation of short-term plan.
• Govt to repair dykes, integrate early warning systems in 200 days.
• Strategy aims to build climate-resilient infrastructure. 

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved a 5-year flood management strategy — fix, expand and rebuild, Federal Minister for Climate Change Musadik Malik said on Wednesday.

The minister revealed this during a press conference, alongside the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) chief, outlining Pakistan’s flood management strategy following heavy losses from recent floods. 

Malik said the 2022 floods caused damage equivalent to 9% of the country’s GDP. Over the past three to four major floods, more than 4,500 people have died, and around 40 million were displaced. This year alone, 3.1 million people lost their homes, the minister said adding that the current drainage system cannot cope with the intensity of present-day monsoons.

Malik said that the government has prepared a 250-day monsoon plan to deal with short-term challenges and will implement integrated measures over the next 200 days. 

“If similar floods occur next year, we must be ready," he added. He said that a meeting chaired by PM Shehbaz made key decisions on a three-phase strategy of flood management. The first phase focuses on repairing damaged infrastructure, including dykes, flood gates, and other critical systems, within 200-250 days, before the next monsoon.

He said that the PM directed early warning systems be immediately integrated at the district and tehsil levels. Officers at the AC and DC offices will screen incoming data, ensuring alerts reach vulnerable areas first. 

Malik further said that the PM also called for formulating plans to establish temporary schools and mobile healthcare units in flood-hit areas to prevent disruption to education and healthcare.

The medium-term plan aims to expand existing drainage and flood management systems over the next three years. Meanwhile, the long-term strategy, spanning five years, envisions climate-resilient infrastructure capable of withstanding extreme weather events, he added. 

Malik emphasised that flood prevention and minimising loss of life should guide policymaking, adding that river floods, flash floods, drainage-related flooding, and coastal destruction were all highlighted during the PM-led meeting. 

He said the premier will personally lead the programme, review updates on implementation and integration to ensure Pakistan is better prepared for extreme weather conditions, both hot and cold.

As per the details from the meeting, PM Shehbaz directed the relevant authorities to ensure early preparedness to avert rain-related losses in next year’s monsoon and implement the short-term plan presented by the climate change ministry.

The prime minister, chairing a meeting to review measures to prevent damages from next year’s monsoon, approved the short-term plan and instructed its immediate implementation. He asked the Ministry of Climate Change, Ministry of Planning, and NDMA to work in coordination with provincial governments for integrated planning on climate change. He also called for preparations to convene a meeting of the National Water Council to carry out national-level planning on water management.

PM Shehbaz said that, being a developing country, Pakistan had to spend a significant portion of its GDP to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change, which otherwise could be used for development projects. He said that unfortunately, Pakistan was faced with the negative impacts of climate change despite having almost a negligible contribution to carbon emissions.

The meeting was briefed on global forecasts and indicators regarding next year’s monsoon, while the Ministry of Climate Change briefed on short, medium, and long-term plans. 

The meeting was attended by federal ministers Malik, Ahsan Iqbal, Ahad Khan Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ataullah Tarar, and relevant senior officials.