loods are not new to Pakistan. Since the catastrophic deluge of 2010 that inundated a fifth of the nation to the record monsoon flood of 2022 that displaced 33 million people, the country has witnessed time and again how rising water levels ruin lives, infrastructure and the economy. This time flood along the Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab rivers has displaced hundreds of thousands. A large number of families have been stranded, standing crops have been swept away and many an embankment has been breached to preserve urban areas.

Pakistan’s evident vulnerability is structural. There are bad embankments, clogged streams, flooded urban drains, inadequate forecasting and watershed deforestation. Every flood requires tens of billions of dollars in relief and rebuilding, the resources that could otherwise be used in development. According to Asian Development Bank, Pakistan suffered damage exceeding $30 billion (Rs 8.5 trillion) during 2022 floods alone. Government resources and actions alone are therefore insufficient to deal with the challenge.

A viable solution lies in public-private partnership (PPP), a structured collaboration that joins the vision and authority of the state with innovation, capital and efficiency of the private sector. PPP projects can provide a suitable roadmap for flood management for Pakistan.

Why PPPs matter

Floods are a multidimensional hazard. It is a hydrological issue in river basins, urban in rapidly expanding cities, financial when the cost of recovery drives out development expenditure and political as people judge leadership based on how fast water recedes or aid arrives.

Private sector has untapped potential in all these areas. Construction giants like Descon Engineering, agribusiness firms like Engro and Fauji Fertliser, insurance companies like Jubilee Life and TPL Insurance, and telecom players like Jazz, Telenor and Ufone possess equipment, networks and........

© The News on Sunday