How can we Prevent Damage Caused by Floods | Expert Analysis
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How can we Prevent Damage Caused by Floods | Expert Analysis
How can we Prevent Damage Caused by Floods | Expert Analysis
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00:00As soon as the monsoon arrives, floods, especially in the cities, are increasing.
00:06Last year and the year before that, the level of floods that we saw,
00:11has started to increase.
00:12And this year, the situation is the same.
00:14In Balochistan as well, in various places of KPK,
00:17in tourist destinations as well.
00:19Was the flood always like this?
00:21The history of floods in Pakistan is like this.
00:23The first flood came in 1956.
00:26After that, floods came in 1976, 1986, 1992 as well.
00:30But their level was very different.
00:33In these, the water export to Kala Bagh and Chashma was not more than 9 lakh cusecs.
00:38But now, instead of improving, the floods are increasing.
00:45Between 1950 and 2010,
00:488887 people lost their lives in the floods that came to Pakistan.
00:55Because of the floods, people lost their lives.
00:57And even now, the situation is the same.
00:59We all remember the flood of 2010.
01:02And after that, due to climate change,
01:04we are seeing a lot of urban flooding as well.
01:06Last year, you saw in Islamabad,
01:08what is the situation of Karachi?
01:10What are we doing wrong?
01:12If we do the right thing, then we will not have to see this situation.
01:16Because floods do not always bring a bad message.
01:20Because of floods, a lot of fertility matters come up.
01:24Alluvial soil comes up,
01:26which makes the river beds and the surrounding beds green.
01:31So, it is important for irrigation as well.
01:33It is also very important for our agriculture.
01:36We will discuss in this regard.
01:38Ibad and Rehman are present with us.
01:40They are experts in environmental issues.
01:42Thank you very much for joining us, Ibad.
01:43It is a very important topic, Ibad.
01:45We come to floods.
01:46We say, oh no, floods have come.
01:48So, everything has gone wrong.
01:49Is climate change the only reason?
01:52Is floods the only reason for destruction?
01:54Or is there any other reason?
01:55Look, first of all, I think you should be congratulated
01:59that these are very important topics.
02:01And this should be discussed on the mainstream media.
02:05You are one of those channels who are discussing this.
02:07Look, floods have always been there.
02:10As you said, Pakistan is a beneficiary of floods.
02:14The areas of Pakistan where agriculture is very good.
02:18Pakistan is an agrarian economy, predominantly.
02:21All those alluvial deposits come through floods.
02:26And floods have always been there in history.
02:29As you said.
02:30The most important thing that you used the word of destruction.
02:34So, the destruction as a result of floods.
02:36It is not just because the quantum of floods has increased.
02:40It is also because of the structure of our governance.
02:44You see, floods occur in other places in the world.
02:46They occur in developed countries as well.
02:48Other natural disasters also occur in developed countries.
02:51In principle, since their infrastructure is more than ours,
02:54their loss should also be more.
02:56But their loss is not much.
02:57What is that?
02:58The reason for that is that there are no governance issues there.
03:01The quality of infrastructure is good.
03:03Their planning is very good.
03:05The spread of their population is very good.
03:09Our population concentration is high.
03:12Since we have an unequal distribution of resources.
03:17In urban and rural areas as well as poor and rich areas.
03:22Because of that, these issues occur.
03:25And you see, there is an old folk saying here.
03:29That water never leaves its way.
03:31It comes back after 100 years.
03:33We have come in its way.
03:34Yes, we come in its way.
03:36You just mentioned E-11 in Islamabad.
03:39The people who are familiar with Islamabad will see.
03:45That waterway was trained at 90 degrees.
03:47The original storm water drain there.
03:51It was trained at 90 degrees.
03:53And it was tried to be fixed.
03:56Water is not done this way.
03:58And water does not even allow itself to be done this way.
04:01Water is not a human being.
04:02Now we have made a lot of mistakes.
04:04Whether we are rich or poor.
04:07At this time, everyone is getting affected.
04:09Especially the people who are coming in between the waterways.
04:12And we are seeing this across the country.
04:15We are seeing this in rural areas as well as urban areas.
04:17Islamabad, Karachi, Quetta.
04:19This is happening in every city.
04:20Now how do we fix this, Mr. Ibaad?
04:22Look, the solution to this.
04:25First of all, we should accept that the flood is coming.
04:29And it will continue to come.
04:31Our contribution in climate change is almost equal to that of Pakistan.
04:35It is less than 1%.
04:36But we are one of the most impacted countries.
04:40We cannot do anything about it in such a way that we can suppress it.
04:44We can do this.
04:46That we put our system in such a way.
04:48That the impact that comes, the destruction that comes.
04:51That should be the least.
04:52And we can take the benefits of it.
04:55For example, since you have talked about urban areas.
04:58So in urban areas, you have seen that we have a lot of concrete.
05:03If you have so much concreting, where will the water go?
05:07The water needs a place to seep.
05:09There is another issue in Pakistan.
05:12Which is a natural issue.
05:13Which has nothing to do with any governance.
05:15When you go down from Potohar, from there to the shores of Karachi.
05:19The gradient is very low.
05:21So the water does not flow.
05:22The water stops.
05:24It has to go into the aquifers.
05:26It has to seep into the ground.
05:29So what should be done for that?
05:31For that, if we apply folk wisdom.
05:35The word used here is Toba.
05:38There was a concept of Toba here.
05:40There used to be a pond in every village.
05:42The area where it used to be.
05:44The water used to accumulate there.
05:46And it used to seep into the ground.
05:48This was also with the cities.
05:50I have spent most of my life in Karachi.
05:53In my childhood, there used to be open areas.
05:56There used to be fields.
05:57The water used to seep there.
05:58It used to rain a lot.
06:00The second thing to avoid floods.
06:02Or to avoid the destruction of floods.
06:04Which we can do.
06:05Which is our own issue.
06:07Of the country.
06:08That we have very few jungles.
06:10And the presence of those jungles.
06:12To stop the destruction of floods.
06:15There is a very big element.
06:17Because the flow of water.
06:19It stops it.
06:20Then apart from that, there are engineering methods.
06:22You make check dams.
06:23You make delay action dams.
06:25Mr. Arbaaz.
06:26These are all methods.
06:27And we have some solutions.
06:30In the form of these.
06:31Now, obviously, climate change.
06:33As you said, we can't stop it.
06:34We can't stop it.
06:35We can't make dams.
06:37Do you think the government is interested in this?
06:40The relevant departments.
06:43Do they have any interest?
06:45Look, in countries like ours.
06:47The problem is.
06:49This is a very real issue.
06:50And I say this.
06:52That the government has taken an interest in this.
06:55Whichever governments are not.
06:56This one.
06:57The one before this.
06:58The one before that.
06:59But as much as it should be.
07:01And as much as it should be proactive.
07:02That is not there.
07:03When a flood comes to us.
07:06Then we go into reaction.
07:08And try to fix it.
07:09One thing has gone wrong.
07:11It is more difficult to fix it.
07:13A much better way than this is.
07:15That you do it in advance.
07:18As it is said in Urdu.
07:19Do it with planning.
07:21With planning.
07:22And do it in a proactive way.
07:25Instead of reacting.