Rebuilding greener
Gulmina Bilal Ahmad
Published August 24, 2025
DAWN
THE monsoon clouds that break over Pakistan every year bring death and devastation. Deadly floods have become an annual ritual. Roads drown. Crops are inundated. People die. The Hilal-i- Ahmer representative in Buner told me: “We have run out of shrouds.” And yet, year after year, Pakistan’s response doesn’t go beyond the usual, ie, emergency aid, military helicopters, donations, photo ops and prayers — followed by radio silence until the next year.
This cycle of death won’t be broken by charity but by skill and enforcement. Specifically, by giving a new generation of Pakistanis revitalised technical vocational education and training (TVET) and strictly enforcing measures against encroachment. We can’t stop the rains but we can build better defences and rebuild greener. For all of this, we need skilled people who know how to work with nature, not against it.
Pakistan is among the top 10 countries most vulnerable to the impact of climate change. Monsoon patterns are shifting, glaciers are melting faster. But vulnerability isn’t only about nature. It is about how we build our homes, how much we encroach and how we manage our rivers and grow our food. Our rural infrastructure is outdated, cities have poor drainage and construction is compromised. Deforestation goes unchecked and waste clogs natural waterways. What’s missing isn’t just money or enforcement but also skills — in particular green skills.
Green skills supporting environment sustainability aren’t only for scientists or policymakers. They are practical, hands-on abilities: installing solar panels, maintaining water pumps, building flood-resistant housing, managing forests, running early warning systems, designing efficient irrigation and restoring wetlands. There is a need for green technicians in districts — local builders who know how to construct elevated homes with proper drainage, agriculture workers trained in climate-smart farming techniques, electricians who can instal off-grid solar systems, welders who can reinforce bridges and plumbers who can fix water leaks, thus preventing contamination during floods.
We need skilled people who know how to work with nature.
We are on our way to doing it by conducting curriculum reform and instructor training in the TVET sector. The focus is on curriculum-infused climate resilience, disaster-risk reduction, renewable energy and sustainable agriculture. In the aftermath of the 2022 floods, grassroots organisations launched small-scale reconstruction efforts. For instance, in Sindh, local masons trained in flood-resilient construction techniques to help rebuild homes on raised platforms using lime-stabilised earth blocks — a traditional and sustainable method that had been abandoned. However, these efforts were sporadic and not mainstreamed.
We need to institutionalise these approaches. Every rebuilding project should double as a training opportunity. Every flood-affected area should become a green skills classroom. Recovery isn’t just about rebuilding what was lost — it is about building back better, smarter and greener.
Pakistan needs a national green skills corps to recruit and train young people in climate adaptation and green technology, and then deploy them in vulnerable regions. Much like national service programmes in other countries, this would give young Pakistanis a purpose, a paycheck and a path forward while helping the country fortify itself against future disasters. The corps should work with local TVET institutes, NGOs and government bodies to run rapid training and deployment cycles. It will be a force multiplier for climate action and a powerful symbol of national resilie-nce.
This isn’t just about Pakistan. Globally, the demand for green skills is exploding. According to the ILO, the transition to a green economy could create 24 million new jobs by 2030. Countries that equip their workforce for this shift will have a competitive edge. Those that don’t will fall behind. Pakistan has the demographics — young, eager workers. It has the need — climate disasters. And it has the moment — post disaster reconstruction, which would provide an opening for structural reform. Foreign aid will always be reactive and not enough. It should never be the foundation of our national climate strategy.
We need to build our own capacity, train our own people and solve our own problems. A green TVET revolution will save lives. It will protect communities and give young Pakistanis a stake in the fight for their future. Climate change is here to stay. So are floods. The question is: will we keep drowning or will we learn to swim? The answer lies not just in our policies, but in polytechnic. Not just relief tents but in classrooms. Not just in plans but in skills.
The writer is the chairperson of National Vocational and Technical Training Commission.
chairperson@navttc.gov.pk
Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2025
THE monsoon clouds that break over Pakistan every year bring death and devastation. Deadly floods have become an annual ritual. Roads drown. Crops are inundated. People die. The Hilal-i- Ahmer representative in Buner told me: “We have run out of shrouds.” And yet, year after year, Pakistan’s response doesn’t go beyond the usual, ie, emergency aid, military helicopters, donations, photo ops and prayers — followed by radio silence until the next year.
This cycle of death won’t be broken by charity but by skill and enforcement. Specifically, by giving a new generation of Pakistanis revitalised technical vocational education and training (TVET) and strictly enforcing measures against encroachment. We can’t stop the rains but we can build better defences and rebuild greener. For all of this, we need skilled people who know how to work with nature, not against it.
Pakistan is among the top 10 countries most vulnerable to the impact of climate change. Monsoon patterns are shifting, glaciers are melting faster. But vulnerability isn’t only about nature. It is about how we build our homes, how much we encroach and how we manage our rivers and grow our food. Our rural infrastructure is outdated, cities have poor drainage and construction is compromised. Deforestation goes unchecked and waste clogs natural waterways. What’s missing isn’t just money or enforcement but also skills — in particular green skills.
Green skills supporting environment sustainability aren’t only for scientists or policymakers. They are practical, hands-on abilities: installing solar panels, maintaining water pumps, building flood-resistant housing, managing forests, running early warning systems, designing efficient irrigation and restoring wetlands. There is a need for green technicians in districts — local builders who know how to construct elevated homes with proper drainage, agriculture workers trained in climate-smart farming techniques, electricians who can instal off-grid solar systems, welders who can reinforce bridges and plumbers who can fix water leaks, thus preventing contamination during floods.
We need skilled people who know how to work with nature.
We are on our way to doing it by conducting curriculum reform and instructor training in the TVET sector. The focus is on curriculum-infused climate resilience, disaster-risk reduction, renewable energy and sustainable agriculture. In the aftermath of the 2022 floods, grassroots organisations launched small-scale reconstruction efforts. For instance, in Sindh, local masons trained in flood-resilient construction techniques to help rebuild homes on raised platforms using lime-stabilised earth blocks — a traditional and sustainable method that had been abandoned. However, these efforts were sporadic and not mainstreamed.
We need to institutionalise these approaches. Every rebuilding project should double as a training opportunity. Every flood-affected area should become a green skills classroom. Recovery isn’t just about rebuilding what was lost — it is about building back better, smarter and greener.
Pakistan needs a national green skills corps to recruit and train young people in climate adaptation and green technology, and then deploy them in vulnerable regions. Much like national service programmes in other countries, this would give young Pakistanis a purpose, a paycheck and a path forward while helping the country fortify itself against future disasters. The corps should work with local TVET institutes, NGOs and government bodies to run rapid training and deployment cycles. It will be a force multiplier for climate action and a powerful symbol of national resilie-nce.
This isn’t just about Pakistan. Globally, the demand for green skills is exploding. According to the ILO, the transition to a green economy could create 24 million new jobs by 2030. Countries that equip their workforce for this shift will have a competitive edge. Those that don’t will fall behind. Pakistan has the demographics — young, eager workers. It has the need — climate disasters. And it has the moment — post disaster reconstruction, which would provide an opening for structural reform. Foreign aid will always be reactive and not enough. It should never be the foundation of our national climate strategy.
We need to build our own capacity, train our own people and solve our own problems. A green TVET revolution will save lives. It will protect communities and give young Pakistanis a stake in the fight for their future. Climate change is here to stay. So are floods. The question is: will we keep drowning or will we learn to swim? The answer lies not just in our policies, but in polytechnic. Not just relief tents but in classrooms. Not just in plans but in skills.
The writer is the chairperson of National Vocational and Technical Training Commission.
chairperson@navttc.gov.pk
Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2025
Published August 23, 2025
DAWN
MONSOON rains, cloudbursts, landslides and flash floods have wreaked havoc in KP, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Since mid-August, harsh weather conditions have left hundreds of people dead, while uprooting thousands from their homes. Rescuers themselves have faced losses, as when a KP government helicopter crashed during rescue operations, apparently due to bad weather, killing all on board. Properties, livelihood assets, settlements and infrastructure have all been harmed.
The federal and provincial governments are taking steps to deal with the situation by announcing rehabilitation and redevelopment works. The call of the hour is to prioritise actions according to what people need most urgently. Rescue, relief, rehabilitation and redevelopment is the usual sequence followed. Additionally, if one goes by the principles of disaster management planning, the repair of highways and other corridors of communication should be a top priority. After immediate measures for controlling flash floods, such as reinforcement of embankments, are taken, a comprehensive assessment of the losses sustained is essential.
Mapping and categorising the damage are the first steps. During this stage, reconnaissance surveys are carried out by IT tools such as Geographical Information Systems, Land Information System and other cartographical aids. As earlier satellite images can easily be accessed through software, a ‘before’ and ‘after’ comparison can give an accurate picture of the disaster scenario. Undertaking detailed analyses of the damage and its causes is necessary to reconstruct the picture and understand locational faults.
For instance, engineers in some parts of Swat say that many tourist hotels were located dangerously close to the river. The poor quality of construction did not help. Hence, they were washed away. Similarly, several embankments were sloppily bolstered, which caused water to penetrate them. The difference in levels between the settlements and the surrounding roads was another reason for the inundation of hamlets, villages and even towns. In many cases, there was no provision of land/ surface drainage.
Prompt measures could have minimised the disaster impact.
Flawed infrastructure development also contributed to the destruction. Buner is an example. It is a largely rural district. Being at a higher altitude, it has been the worst hit due to the gushing water emanating from very heavy rains.
The next step is to assess pre-warning systems for the mobilisation of residents towards safer ground and the protection of people’s assets. The Met Department has been prompt and efficient in flashing warning signals and conveying relevant information to the public and the authorities. However, action by local institutions has been slow — sometimes coming after the damage that prompt rescue efforts could have prevented. Relief work is expected from the federal agencies including army contingents. No doubt, the role played by these agencies is extremely useful, but they can only come after a state of emergency is reached.
In any disaster situation, the first few days — even hours — are important. If warnings are received, the administration must transfer the people and their moveable assets to safer locations. Prior demarcation of high points, access roads and the provision of a basic infrastructure in these rescue nests should be undertaken as a routine municipal assignment.
Evidence from the outskirts of Buner and Swat has shown that the public’s haphazard and disorganised response was due to lack of education and awareness. Many communities resisted evacuation, waiting for a last-minute miracle. By communicating the real hazards of impending disasters in an effective manner, the people can be persuaded to mobilise quickly. Local government officials, pesh imams and school teachers can act as catalysts in this respect.
Besides, efforts must be made to make available studies related to catastrophes and disaster prevention and safety at schools. This is a norm which is widely practised in disaster-prone areas such as Japan. Unless personal actions synchronise with the demands of the emerging situation, the damage will not be controlled.
A vital issue is the local capacity of dealing with disasters. At the level of the union council and tehsil, it is important that staff is trained in emergency duties. This may comprise routine civil defence training, labour supervision skills, elementary construction and engineering awareness, usage of basic machinery such as bulldozers, excavators, tractors and dumpers, etc. And Buner, where much of the population is not literate, must work very hard to scale up education levels. Disaster response only delivers when people understand the science behind it.
The writer is an academic and researcher based in Karachi.
Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2025
Flood lessons
Published August 22, 2025
DAWN
PRIME MINISTER Shehbaz Sharif’s lament in Buner on Wednesday — that Pakistan did not heed any lessons from the 2022 floods — is as apt as it is tragic. His words echo the frustration of a people once again mourning hundreds of lives lost and thousands displaced by rains that have battered KP, Gilgit-Baltistan, Karachi and beyond. However, while Mr Sharif was right to highlight the folly of unchecked construction on floodplains and riverbanks, describing it as a “human blunder”, the crisis runs much deeper. Climate change has been amplifying the destruction that has come from decades of poor governance.Pakistan, unfortunately, sits on the front lines of climate vulnerability. Glaciers in the north are melting in fragile valleys, while unpredictable monsoons unleash heavy rains on already soaked plains. Deforestation, particularly in KP, has stripped hillsides of the natural barriers that once slowed floods and prevented landslides. Trees that could have absorbed water and anchored soil have been felled for timber or cleared for unregulated development. The result is not only devastation in rural areas but also risks for cities, where clogged drains and crumbling infrastructure leave millions exposed to urban flooding.
The government must step up to the task. These are not seasonal aberrations. They are our permanent new reality. We must invest in better early-warning systems, including real-time monitoring of glacial lakes and rainfall patterns, to give vulnerable communities a chance to evacuate. Urban centres are in dire need of investment in drainage, waste management and flood-resilient housing. Rural areas need embankments and restoration of tree cover. Above all, laws must be enforced against hotels, housing and roadside markets on riverbanks, regardless of any clout behind them. The PM’s call for a ban on construction in hazardous zones, and for a national movement against deforestation, is welcome. But Pakistan has heard similar promises before. What has been missing so far is the political will to follow through consistently, across provinces and beyond electoral cycles. As Mr Sharif admitted, corruption and influence in building permits remain rampant. Unless these are curbed, no assurance will carry any meaning. Pakistan cannot afford to spend its meagre resources repeatedly rebuilding what could have been protected in the first place. If the state is serious about enforcing the law, then flood resilience must be the first test.
Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2025
No comments:
Post a Comment