Member (Water) Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Raghib Abbas Shah has said that construction of dams is very important for the future of the country and the government is working on building water reservoirs to mitigate the impact of super floods.
He was addressing the audience after the lecture on " Diagnostics of floods in Pakistan-Managing the Avoidable and Avoiding the Unmanageable" by chief, Water and Sustainable Development Section, UNESCO, Dr Muhammad Shahbaz Khan organised by Pakistan Engineering Congress (PEC).
Vice President PEC Syed Mansoor Ali Zaidi and secretary PEC Engineer Akhtar Abbas Khawja were present on the occasion. Raghib said that Pakistan had trans-boundary issues with India and some times India did not share accurate information with Pakistan. He said that deforestation was the major cause of floods in Pakistan. He also said that government is working on the projects of diverting floodwater to the deserts.
Speaking on the occasion Dr Muhammad Shahbaz has said that floods in Pakistan can not be avoided but it should be managed. He said that major cause of floods in Pakistan was deforestation. He said that there should be computerised meteorological system.
Shahbaz said that UNESCO has formulated a comprehensive strategy in partnership with Pakistan to help the country develop and manage its responses to flood and drought, and to rationally account potential impacts of land-use, population, climate change and other factors on water resources.
The plan covers four key areas: flood hazard forecasting and management; mapping and assessment of geo-hazards such as glacier melts and landslides; mapping, development and protection of ground water resources for safe use in emergency situations; and education including technical training and awareness raising for communities and decision makers.