The devastating floods of 2025 in the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab rivers inundated approximately 2.5 million acres of farmland in Punjab. In response to massive losses, the federal government has declared a climate and agriculture emergency, yet it remains unclear what practical measures will follow under this cover.
Whatever course the authorities eventually adopt, two interventions are indispensable alongside immediate relief efforts: first, to rehabilitate the flood-affected lands for cultivation; and second, to mitigate the risk of another flood next year, when rainfall is forecast to be even higher in 2026 — implying an even greater disaster.
On TV talk shows, a divisive debate continues over whether the inundated fields will be left buried under coarse sand or enriched with a fertile layer of silt once the waters recede. In reality, both processes occur simultaneously.
During floods, when a river spills out of its bed and spreads across the floodplain, it erodes fertile topsoil from slightly elevated lands and deposits this farther into the floodplain. The eroded lands, in contrast, are stripped of their topsoil and left exposed with underlying sand.
Unchecked construction that create choke points during floods must be banned lest an even greater disaster occur in 2026 when rainfall is forecast to be even higher
Moreover, as water velocity decreases across the broad floodplain, suspended sediments settle: coarser material (fine sand and coarse silt) is deposited closer to the river channel, while finer particles (silt and clay) travel farther and settle on distant fields.
As a result, all inundated fields require rehabilitation. Even fields covered with fertile silt become uneven and need extensive re-leveling before cultivation can resume. Fields covered under sand pose a greater challenge, though, as farmers must transport silt from elsewhere to restore fertility. Both tasks demand substantial resources. This is where government support becomes critical for enabling farmers to prepare their land in time for the next wheat crop.
An even bigger challenge for the government is to enhance the water-carrying capacity of rivers so that floodwaters can be confined within predetermined areas, even if levels rise above 2025 flood marks.
This requires detailed mapping of river paths, including creeks, spill channels, and floodways. With the aid of computer modelling and simulation, the government must precisely demarcate river channels, floodplains, and adjacent vulnerable areas. These zones are already discernible to some extent where bunds exist, for instance, in Sindh province and along the Chenab downstream of Multan. But in the regions where bunds do not exist — apart from short embankments near headworks, bridges, or towns — particularly along the Ravi and the Sutlej, zoning must be precise and visible.
Punjab’s Irrigation Department already has a functional Flood Risk Assessment Unit, but its capacity needs to be enhanced to carry out such modelling while factoring in weather forecasts, hydrological data, natural topography, and man-made structures that obstruct floodwater.
Notably, much of the river channels and floodplains are privately owned, where houses, animal sheds, and other constructions have been built. Due to population explosion, such construction has been multiplied over the last five years. In several areas, even metal roads have been built to facilitate these riverine settlements. Likewise, planned mango and citrus orchards are widespread within bund areas, especially near Multan, Shujaabad, Jalalpur Pirwala, Muzaffargarh, and Alipur.
Such plantation and unchecked construction create choke points during floods, which place immense pressure on upstream bunds and embankments, resulting in breaches. Additionally, residents of floodplains have cut ramps into bunds at multiple points for vehicle crossings, severely weakening these protective structures.
As a result, unexpected breaches occurred during the recent flood, submerging even areas once considered safe. This calls for a comprehensive policy to ban all forms of construction in floodplains and to relocate residents to safe areas by offering a one-time incentive. Since most floodplain land is fertile and supports the livelihoods of thousands of households, cultivation of Rabi and Kharif crops may be permitted under regulated conditions.
In the Kharif season, only low-height crops — vegetables, fodder, or short-duration sesame varieties that can be mostly harvested before the monsoon — should be permitted. Tall crops like sugarcane and maize, as well as orchards, must be strictly prohibited to ensure the unobstructed flow of floodwater.
Another issue is poorly designed roads and bridges that have also disrupted the natural flow of floodwaters by blocking river creeks and floodways. As a result, the water-carrying capacity of rivers has declined sharply at such points, particularly where adequate culverts are missing. This leads to inundation of upstream lands and villages and leaves water standing along roads. Under extreme pressure, many roads were washed away during the recent floods.
Therefore, close coordination among the irrigation department, local government, and national and provincial highway authorities is essential, not only to design new road infrastructure but also to reassess existing roads and bridges for necessary modifications to restore natural passages for floodwater.
In conclusion, climate change has sharply escalated flood risks in Pakistan. It has now become absolutely imperative to regulate waterways and land use in floodplains through a holistic policy supported by a strong legal and institutional framework.
Khalid Wattoo is a development professional and a farmer, and Chaudhary Mohammad Ashraff is a former director general of on-farm water management of the Punjab Agriculture Department.
Published in Brackly News, The Business and Finance Weekly, September 29th, 2025
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