LAHORE: Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) urged the government to immediately launch a nationwide programme for the construction of rainwater harvesting dams to protect Pakistan from recurring floods and looming droughts.
The LCCI President Mian Abuzar Shad, Senior Vice President Engineer Khalid Usman and Vice President Shahid Nazir Chaudhry said that although the country is facing devastating floods at present, Pakistan is among the most water-stressed countries in the world as per capita water availability has drastically fallen from 5,600 cubic meters in 1951 to only 860 cubic meters in 2025, which is far below the international water scarcity threshold.
They said that while every year billions of cubic meters of rainwater flows into the sea without being utilized, the nation simultaneously faces crippling droughts in arid regions. They said that this dual challenge of devastating floods and acute water shortages represents a national tragedy which must be addressed through urgent, practical and cost-effective solutions.
Mian Abuzar Shad said that rainwater harvesting dams are the most immediate and viable solution to save Pakistan from water insecurity and climate shocks. He said that the 2022 floods inflicted losses of over USD 30 billion and displaced more than 33 million people, while the 2025 floods have already claimed more hundreds of lives and destroyed infrastructure, agri land, crops and livestock worth billions of dollars. “If we fail to store rainwater through small and medium-sized dams, we will continue to suffer the same devastation every year. With proper planning, the same water that today wreaks havoc could instead become a source of prosperity,” he remarked.
Senior Vice President Engineer Khalid Usman said that rainwater harvesting dams will not only mitigate flood losses but also recharge groundwater, support agriculture, provide drinking water and create livelihood opportunities in rural areas. He said that such projects are less time-consuming and less costly compared to mega dams, yet their cumulative impact on water security and climate resilience is extraordinary.
Vice President Shahid Nazir Chaudhry said that these dams can also attract international climate financing through IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility and World Bank programmes.
The LCCI office-bearers said that a sustainable national programme with at least Rs. 200 to 300 billion annual allocation, developed under a public-private partnership framework and monitored through digital systems, could ensure transparency, efficiency and long-term impact.
They said that by constructing rainwater harvesting dams across Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab’s Potohar region, Sindh’s arid zones and Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK, Pakistan could store an additional six to seven million acre feet of water, almost equal to the combined storage capacity of Tarbela and Mangla.
They said that such an initiative would reduce flood losses by nearly half and simultaneously strengthen food security, energy potential, and climate resilience.
The LCCI office-bearers said that Pakistan cannot afford further delays. If we fail to act today, the next future generations will inherit only floods, droughts and despair. Rainwater harvesting dams are not an option but a necessity for Pakistan’s survival, progress and prosperity.
