Islamabad, September 2025 — Senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Senator Sherry Rehman, has reignited the decades-long debate on the controversial Kalabagh Dam, asserting that the looming risk of floods in Pakistan cannot be eliminated by constructing the dam. In a wide-ranging and exclusive interview with a private news channel, she addressed the political, environmental, and social dimensions of the project, while emphasizing the broader threat of climate change.
Sherry Rehman began by stressing that Pakistan’s water management strategy should not be based solely on the construction of one mega dam. “The idea that Kalabagh Dam is the silver bullet for our flood crises is misleading,” she said. “Floods will remain a recurring reality, and no single dam will prevent them.” Her remarks come at a time when multiple provinces, especially Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), are once again experiencing devastating flooding due to heavy monsoon rains.
Opposition from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The PPP leader highlighted the strong and consistent opposition from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She noted that Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has always been a vocal opponent of the Kalabagh Dam, citing concerns about displacement, environmental degradation, and loss of fertile land. “The province has rejected the Kalabagh Dam project in the past, and its leadership continues to oppose it,” Sherry Rehman said. “But if they truly want to contribute to progress, they must participate in dialogue. Refusing to come to the table achieves nothing.”
For decades, KP’s politicians have argued that the Kalabagh Dam would submerge large tracts of agricultural land in Nowshera and displace thousands of families. Sindh has also opposed the project, fearing reduced water flows downstream, which could exacerbate desertification and harm its delta region.
Dams and Climate Change
Sherry Rehman was firm in her view that climate change alters the entire debate. “When the climate is shifting in such unpredictable ways, building one or two dams cannot solve our challenges,” she said. “We are witnessing accelerated glacial melt, erratic monsoon patterns, and prolonged droughts. These are not issues that a single dam can resolve.”
She explained that dams are primarily useful for water storage, irrigation, and hydropower generation, but they cannot eliminate the destructive force of super floods caused by cloudbursts or extreme weather. “Right now, Punjab is inundated. Do people believe that constructing Kalabagh will automatically protect them from such events? That is not how nature works,” she remarked.
A Changed Landscape
The senator painted a sobering picture of how climate change has transformed once-lush valleys in northern Pakistan. “Chitral, Swat, and Malakand used to be emerald-green regions, rich in forests and water,” she said. “Now, many of these areas are barren and exposed to landslides and erosion. Climate change has stripped them of their resilience. Building a new dam will not reverse these ecological losses.”
She added that while dams can regulate water flows, they cannot prevent encroachments or mismanagement along riverbanks and floodplains. “The committee will have to examine where encroachments have taken place around waterways, because unplanned urbanization is as dangerous as any flood,” she warned.
Learning from the Past
Sherry Rehman urged the government and policymakers to carefully study the experiences of existing mega dams like Tarbela and Mangla. “These dams were constructed in a different era, under very different environmental conditions. We must assess what worked, what failed, and whether those lessons are applicable today. It is not possible to replicate the past without considering today’s realities.”
She cautioned against rushing into new construction without a clear understanding of social costs. “You cannot simply build larger and larger dams. The displacement of communities, destruction of cultural heritage, and damage to ecosystems must all be factored in. Pakistan cannot afford to repeat mistakes.”
The Inevitability of Floods
Perhaps the most striking part of her remarks was the admission that floods are inevitable. “We must accept that floods will come. No dam—whether Kalabagh, Tarbela, or Mangla—can completely stop them. What we can do is prepare better, plan better, and reduce human vulnerability,” she said.
She also emphasized the importance of regional green cover. “The most green-colored map of Pakistan was once Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with Gilgit-Baltistan not far behind. But as deforestation has spread, that protective cover has thinned. Forests absorb rainfall, stabilize soil, and act as natural buffers. Without them, floods gain even greater destructive force.”
A Call for Comprehensive Policy
Concluding her interview, Sherry Rehman called for a comprehensive national policy on climate resilience. “The conversation about Kalabagh Dam has dragged on for decades, dividing provinces and distracting us from more pressing priorities. Instead of fighting over one project, we should be focusing on watershed management, reforestation, strengthening embankments, and introducing climate-smart agriculture. These are the strategies that will make a difference.”
She urged political leaders to rise above narrow provincial politics. “This is not about PPP, PTI, or PML-N. This is about Pakistan’s survival in an age of climate emergency. If we keep clinging to outdated solutions, we will pay a heavy price.”
The Bigger Picture
Experts believe her remarks reflect a growing realization among policymakers that climate change requires a paradigm shift. Pakistan is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate disasters, with the 2022 super floods serving as a painful reminder of the scale of destruction. That disaster displaced millions, submerged one-third of the country, and caused billions of dollars in damages.
While dams remain a crucial part of Pakistan’s energy and irrigation strategy, Sherry Rehman’s argument underscores that they are not the ultimate solution. The debate over Kalabagh Dam is unlikely to end anytime soon, but her intervention has once again pushed the conversation toward climate resilience, environmental sustainability, and inter-provincial harmony.
