FFC suggests exclusive ‘Flood Management Authority’ in Pakistan

Federal Flood Commission (FFC) has suggested that Pakistan needs a vibrant and exclusive Flood Management Authority (FMA) at the national level to deal with floods in the future.
The commission has written to the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) which leaped to play its due role by inviting a group of senior engineers for a brainstorming session so that the engineering community can play its due role in rebuilding the areas severely damaged by the floods caused by monsoon rains this year.
The commission says the proposed authority will deal with flood protection and management issues like the NDMA, being the exclusive authority responsible for rescue and relief matters after the disasters occur.
The commission further proposes the River Act be enacted in all the provinces and that existing land use regulations be implemented strictly in letter and spirit to avoid major loss of life and property in future floods.
Flood Plain Maps prepared under NFPP-IV are already in place and circulated widely among the provinces. These maps can help determine the extent of inundation and may be used for flood warnings in respective districts by the DDMAs. The maps indicate the areas that may submerge at certain flood levels/ river discharge.
It says the construction of dams in the Indus Basin can only help manage flood waters to pass safely.
Large-scale forestation in upper catchments of all the rivers would help not only in reducing flood intensity in upper reaches but also support combating climate change impacts.
Pakistan needs a vibrant and exclusive Flood Management Authority at the national level to deal with flood protection and management issues like the NDMA, being the exclusive authority responsible for rescue and relief matters after disasters occur.
Since its establishment, FFC has so far spared and successfully coordinated and implemented three Ten (10) years of National Flood Protection Plans (NFPPs). Under these plans, approximately 1232 No. Flood Protection and River Training Works costing Rs.16.68 billion have been executed throughout the country. Also under these plans, a number of Weather Radars, Flood Telemetry System Flood Forecasting & Warning System equipment, and other ground stations have been procured and installed for strengthening and up-gradation of the country’s Flood Forecasting and Warning System. This also includes a state-of-the-art Flood Forecasting & Warning System for Lai Nullah Basin (Islamabad & Rawalpindi), through Japanese assistance.
In the aftermath of the 2010 disastrous Floods, the Federal Flood Commission prepared Fourth National Plan (NFPP-IV) costing Rs. 332.246 billion, which was approved by CCI in its meeting held in May 2017. In line with the advice of MoWR/PD&SI Division, an Umbrella PC-I of Flood Protection Sector Project-Ill (FPSP-III) with a rationalized cost of Rs. 95.980 billion was prepared, which stands approved by the CDWP in its meeting held on 12 October 2020 for submission to ECNEC, which is still pending for approval of ECNEC due to non-availability of secured donor funding to the tune of Rs. 95.98 billion. The GOP needs to explore and decide on the source of funding at the earliest possible. Meanwhile, NFPP-IV and PC-I are being updated in wake of 2022 flood damages as per the PM directive and advice of the PD&SI Division respectively.
FFC is presently implementing the GOP funded Normal/ Emergent Flood Programme. It is a need-based program in which Provincial Irrigation Departments and Federal Line Agencies submit their emergent flood protection schemes proposed along main and other rivers, besides, hill torrents and flood flows generating local nullahs to the Federal Flood Commission keeping in view their priorities and allocation of funds under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) each year. However, this program is very much limited and is unable to address comprehensive flood management aspects.
Scattered emergent schemes play a vital role in the management of floods and prevention/reduction of damages to life, property, and infrastructure, however, due to inadequate budget allocation under PSDP, each year (minimal as compared to the Provinces & Federal Line Agencies demands) cannot address effective country level flood protection and management aspects.n