Urban flooding has long plagued Pakistani cities, from bustling Karachi to historic Lahore and vibrant Peshawar. Monsoon season brings torrents of water that threaten life, property, livelihoods – and increasingly climate change is intensifying and unpredictably altering weather patterns, leaving urban populations increasingly susceptible to urban flooding’s devastating consequences.
As if Karachi’s flooding wasn’t proof enough of pluvial flooding’s growing threat, at least 26 lives lost during two days of torrential rainfall across Lahore and Punjab in November is evidence enough of its grave dangers. These types of floods occur when heavy rainfall overwhelms urban drainage systems’ capacity to absorb excess water.
Compounding this problem are uncontrolled urbanization, unregulated development, sprawling cities, inadequate stormwater drainage systems, clogged sewerage lines due to solid waste accumulation or encroachments, alteration of natural drainage routes caused by reckless construction projects and poor urban governance – factors which all play into intensified rainfall intensity as well as unpredictable downpours; while natural elements play a part in creating disasters which often results in unintentional or disastrous consequences.
As Pakistan’s urban population continues to expand due to high population growth rates and rural-to-urban migration, cities are projected to house 50 percent of Pakistani’s total population by 2050. Rapid urbanization presents planners with a unique challenge; planners must adapt current urban development policies in order to address urban flooding problems rather than simply build more roads, bridges, or car-friendly corridors for those of means.
Heavy monsoon rain hits Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore, flooding urban streets and causing loss of human lives tragically, click #AsiaAlbum to see more pictures https://t.co/MxvH5x8Luq pic.twitter.com/NC3NaXCtSK
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) July 7, 2023
Every city requires an integrated master plan in order to increase the water-carrying capacity of sewerage and stormwater drainage systems, take into account increasing rainfall intensity, preserve green spaces, allow efficient rainwater drainage systems, discourage urban sprawl, improve solid waste disposal/management capabilities and build civic agency capacity among other measures.
Pakistan’s crumbling cities require effective local governments equipped with sufficient resources and authority for urban management and planning. Only through an integrated approach and better urban governance can we hope to address all of the myriad problems our cities are currently experiencing, as providing piecemeal solutions may only result in further flooding events occurring more frequently in future.
Pakistan must tackle urban flooding head on by adopting sustainable urban development policies and empowering local authorities, in order to protect our cities from climate change’s devastating impacts. Let us seize this momentous opportunity and build resilient and prosperous futures for all Pakistanis.