By 2040, Pakistan is projected to be among the most water-stressed countries in the world. The river Indus, which supplies more than 240 million inhabitants, is experiencing great pressure due to the growing demand, receding glaciers as well as unpredictable monsoons. This has motivated a fierce debate: should Pakistan double down on mega-dams, or pivot toward softer, nature-based solutions?

Famous physicist Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy has on several occasions challenged the obsession of Pakistan with big dams, terming them an expensive project that consumes the resources of the country without addressing deeper malfunctions of governance. The same doubt is shared by water resources scientists like Dr Hassan Abbas and he strongly supports the idea of floodplains, aquifers and wetlands as the answer to both floods and scarcity. These criticisms are quite justified pointing out the faults of the state fascination with concrete structures, but they run the risk of overshadowing the brutal truth:........

© The Express Tribune