Introduction
In recent years, Pakistan’s cities especially Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Lahore have faced severe urban flooding. After just a few hours of heavy rain, roads turn into rivers, homes get flooded, and daily life comes to a stop.
Many blame climate change for this situation, and while changing weather patterns play a role, most of the damage is caused by human actions. The uncontrolled construction of housing societies, shops, and homes on riverbanks, drainage nullahs, and catchment areas is blocking the natural flow of water.
As a result, water has nowhere to go, and it ends up flooding the cities.
What Causes Urban Flooding in Pakistani Cities?
1. Building on Riverbanks and Nullahs
In many areas, people have built homes and buildings right next to rivers and stormwater drains (nullahs). These rivers and drains are meant to carry rainwater safely out of the cities. But due to construction:
- Rivers are narrowed or blocked.
- Nullahs are covered or filled with trash.
- Water cannot flow easily and overflows into nearby areas.
This kind of construction is extremely risky and is a major reason for repeated urban flooding in cities like Rawalpindi and Lahore.
2. Destruction of Catchment Areas
A catchment area is the land around a river or stream that collects rainwater and channels it toward the water body. These areas are very important for natural water flow.
But many housing societies have been built in these zones. When it rains heavily:
- Water does not get collected and redirected.
- It floods the roads and low-lying areas instead.
3. Horizontal Expansion of Cities
Pakistani cities are expanding horizontally, meaning we are building wider, low-rise housing schemes across vast areas. This leads to:
- Loss of green land that could absorb rainwater.
- Increased demand for roads, drainage, and utility lines.
- Spreading construction into risky areas like wetlands, floodplains, and old riverbeds.
This type of development blocks natural water paths and increases flood risks.
The Case of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Lahore
Islamabad
Islamabad was designed to be a planned, green capital. But now, rapid horizontal expansion and unapproved housing societies are disturbing its drainage system. Water that should flow into streams and dams gets blocked by buildings, causing flooding in sectors and nearby towns.
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi’s biggest drainage system is the Lai Nullah. It has become narrow and polluted due to encroachments. Almost every year, areas around Lai Nullah get flooded, damaging homes and putting lives at risk. This is a repeating disaster.
Lahore
Lahore has lost many of its natural wetlands and low-lying areas. These have been replaced by housing schemes that are poorly planned, with inadequate drainage. As a result, even a few hours of rain can flood entire neighborhoods.
The Solution: Vertical Development
To solve this problem, Pakistan needs to move away from horizontal expansion and shift to vertical development.
What is Vertical Development?
Vertical development means building multi-story buildings like apartment complexes, commercial towers, and mixed-use buildings. Instead of spreading across large plots of land, we go upward, not outward.
Why Vertical Development Helps
- Saves Land
Tall buildings use less ground space. More people can live in a smaller area, leaving other land free for nature. - Preserves Natural Water Paths
With less land being used for buildings, nullahs, catchment areas, and riverbanks remain open for rainwater to flow. - Easier Infrastructure Management
It’s easier to manage water, sewerage, electricity, and garbage systems in compact vertical communities than in wide, spread-out societies. - Reduces Risk of Flooding
With proper planning, vertical buildings can have built-in drainage solutions, water harvesting systems, and flood protection, which reduce the chance of water damage.
What Government and Planners Must Do
To make vertical development a success, the government and planning bodies must act now:
- Ban illegal construction on rivers, nullahs, and catchment zones.
- Give incentives (like tax cuts or easy approvals) to developers who build vertically.
- Update urban planning rules to allow and encourage high-rise buildings.
- Improve drainage systems in all major cities.
- Raise public awareness so people avoid building or buying in flood-prone zones.
More Advantages of Vertical Over Horizontal Development
Besides helping prevent floods, vertical construction has many more benefits:
1. Environmental Protection
- Saves trees, farmland, and wetlands.
- Reduces pollution by encouraging public transport and walkability.
2. Energy Efficiency
- Apartments use less energy for heating/cooling due to shared walls.
- Easier to install solar panels and centralized systems.
3. Affordable Housing
- Shared land and utilities reduce construction costs.
- Easier to provide low-cost housing in cities.
4. Better Community Services
- Police, rescue, schools, and health services can operate more efficiently in high-density areas.
5. Smart City Growth
- Easier to implement modern technologies like smart grids, waste management, and rainwater harvesting.
- 🏙️ Saves Land: One tall building can house 50 families on the same land where only 5 homes would fit.
- 🌳 More Green Spaces: Less land used for buildings means more parks, gardens, and playgrounds.
- 🚍 Better Public Services: Water, gas, electricity, and garbage systems are easier to manage.
- 🚶♀️ Walkable Communities: People live closer to each other, reducing traffic and promoting walking.
- 🏢 Affordable Housing: Apartment-style living can be cheaper for families than building individual houses.
- 🌱 Eco-Friendly: Less need for cutting trees or damaging natural land.
Conclusion
Urban flooding in Pakistan is not just a result of heavy rains, but of poor planning, illegal construction, and horizontal city growth. If we don’t change how we build our cities, these floods will keep getting worse every year.
We must rethink our approach. The future of our cities lies in vertical development—taller, smarter, and more efficient buildings that protect the environment, save land, and reduce the risk of floods.
It’s time to build upward, not outward.
