PAKISTAN’S future depends on how wisely it manages its water resources and few projects illustrate this challenge more clearly than the proposed Kala Bagh Dam. For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), a province endowed with rivers, agricultural potential and hydropower opportunities, the project deserves serious reconsideration as part of a national strategy for water security, affordable electricity, agricultural development and economic stability. At a time when climate change, population growth, energy shortage and declining water availability are intensifying pressure on Pakistan’s economy, postponing difficult decisions about major water infrastructure carries its own costs. Kala Bagh Dam should not be viewed merely as a controversial construction project. It should be examined as a potential instrument of national development, with particular attention to the interests of the people of KP. However, its future must rest on transparent technical assessments, credible environmental safeguards and a political consensus that addresses the concerns of every affected province.

The most compelling argument for the project is Pakistan’s growing need to store water. The country depends heavily on the Indus River system, yet much of the water flowing downstream during periods of high river discharge cannot be retained for use during dry months. Seasonal variations, irregular rainfall, glacier dynamics and increasingly unpredictable........

© Pakistan Observer