LAHORE – Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) Chief Executive Officer Mian Kashif Ashfaq has stressed that effective watershed management is vital for reducing flood risks and protecting agriculture. He noted that such measures can regulate water flows, prevent erosion, enrich soils, and restore ecological balance.
Speaking at a seminar on “Flood Management,” he explained that planting indigenous trees and bamboo along rivers and tributaries would strengthen natural defenses. He emphasized that without effective watershed management, Pakistan will continue to face recurring losses from floods.
Mian Kashif Ashfaq highlighted the importance of the Indus basin, which stretches over 1,700 kilometers from the Himalayas through Punjab and Sindh into the Arabian Sea. With an annual runoff of 154 million acre-feet, the Indus system is a lifeline for Pakistan’s agriculture, biodiversity, and energy needs.
He warned that kacha lands, classified as high-risk flood zones, are often misused for farming or occupied illegally. The unchecked development of housing colonies inside riverbeds, including along the Ravi, has worsened the situation. He stressed that strict accountability is necessary to curb violations and secure vulnerable communities.
The PFC chief underscored that agriculture supports nearly 70 percent of Pakistan’s population, making water storage and flood protection a national priority. He proposed long-term strategies such as relocating populations from high-risk zones, building check dams, clearing waterways, and installing nets in cloudburst-prone mountains to reduce debris flows.
He regretted that effective watershed management has remained a neglected area despite decades of devastating floods. He urged the government to integrate watershed planning into national policies. He also called for utilizing international climate financing to support projects that can safeguard lives, agriculture, and the economy.
Mian Kashif Ashfaq concluded that investment in effective watershed management is no longer optional but essential for Pakistan’s sustainable future.
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