Complete control over floods is not possible, and adaptation is essential to live with these natural events, said Engineer Ihsan Laghari, Sindh representative in the Indus River System Authority (IRSA). Addressing a seminar organized jointly by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Sindh and MetaMeta Research, Netherlands, Laghari emphasized the need for a paradigm shift in flood management approaches. The event focused on analyzing the post-flood impacts of the 2022 floods and devising strategies to mitigate future impacts.

Laghari stressed that climate change alone is not responsible for natural disasters. Governmental procedures and disaster preparedness also play a significant role. He cited the incomplete state of the Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) and Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD) projects as a major factor in the 2022 floods. The 2010 and 2022 floods exposed serious weaknesses in flood risk management, highlighting the urgent need for a comprehensive plan to reduce the devastating impacts of floods.

Seminar participants highlighted the importance of disaster preparedness and community education. Ishfaq Soomro informed that MetaMeta has been working in ten countries for 25 years. The 2022 floods affected 31 million people, significantly higher than the 20 million affected in 2010.