The devastating floods of 2025 in the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab rivers submerged approximately 2.5 million acres of farmland in Punjab, prompting the federal government to declare a climate and agriculture emergency. While immediate relief is essential, long-term interventions are equally critical, including rehabilitating flood-affected lands and mitigating the risk of another severe flood in 2026, when rainfall is forecasted to be even higher.
During floods, rivers deposit fertile silt on distant fields while eroding topsoil from slightly elevated areas, leaving them exposed with underlying sand. As a result, all inundated farmland requires rehabilitation. Even fields enriched with silt become uneven and need re-leveling, while those covered with sand require external silt to restore fertility. Both processes demand significant resources, highlighting the need for government support to help farmers prepare their land for upcoming crops.
Another pressing challenge is enhancing the water-carrying capacity of rivers to confine floodwaters within designated areas, even if levels surpass 2025 flood marks. This requires detailed mapping of river channels, creeks, spillways, and floodplains, supported by computer modeling that factors in hydrological data, topography, and man-made structures that obstruct natural water flow. Although Punjab’s Irrigation Department has a functional Flood Risk Assessment Unit, its capacity must be strengthened to carry out such comprehensive modeling.
Population growth and unchecked construction in floodplains, including houses, roads, and orchards, have created choke points, increasing pressure on bunds and embankments and contributing to breaches during the recent floods. Poorly designed roads and bridges further restrict river flow, causing upstream inundation and damaging infrastructure. To prevent future disasters, a comprehensive policy is needed to regulate construction in floodplains, relocate residents with appropriate incentives, and permit cultivation under controlled conditions. Low-height crops should be allowed during the Kharif season, while tall crops and orchards must be prohibited to maintain unobstructed water flow.
Close coordination between the irrigation department, local governments, and national and provincial highway authorities is essential to restore natural flood passages, modify existing infrastructure, and design resilient roads and bridges. With climate change increasing the frequency and intensity of floods in Pakistan, it is now imperative to implement a holistic policy backed by strong legal and institutional frameworks to protect lives, livelihoods, and agricultural land.
Khalid Wattoo is a development professional and farmer, and Chaudhary Mohammad Ashraff is a former director general of on-farm water management at the Punjab Agriculture Department