Pakistan needs to store, utilise flood waters: Amin Aslam

ISLAMABAD: Advisor to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam has on Tuesday said that we should focus on the ecological storage of the flood waters, which entails tremendous opportunities and potentials like groundwater recharge, flushing of polluted lakes and ponds and for the creation of better habitat for migratory birds, with minimal social cost.

He stated this while chairing a meeting with officials of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) at the Ministry of Climate Change.

Climate Change Secretary Khizar Hayat Khan and other senior officials from ministry also participated in the meeting.

WWF officials gave a detailed presentation to the chair regarding workable and cost-effective strategy for rational use of the floods and to plug the wastage of precious resource.

Advisor to PM on climate change directed the concerned authorities to carry out a detailed comparative study by keeping in view experience in China and other international modules and then submit recommendations for alteration in the prevailing flood control strategy to obtain maximum benefit from the floodwater.

He maintained that we need an integrated and comprehensive approach towards floodplain management to gain maximum benefits and minimize the risk factors with lesser social cost and to use it as a tool for ecosystem-based adaptation of climate change effects.