Indian dams on Chenab and Jhelum cannot cause floods in Pakistan – John Briscoe


Indian dams on Chenab and Jhelum cannot cause floods in Pakistan – John Briscoe

As some in Pakistan accused India of causing the current floods in the country, Aman ki Asha reached out to an internationally acclaimed water expert for an informed view. Is the allegation that India is causing the floods in Pakistan true; if not, what is the cause and what are the solutions?
By Prof John Briscoe

The simple answer is that India could not have exacerbated the current floods in the Chenab and Jhelum basins in Pakistan. The explanation is also simple.

When large reservoirs are built, they can indeed affect the impact of floods. In 2010, Tarbela, even though operated mainly for irrigation and hydro, somewhat reduced the peak flows in downstream areas. But India does not have any large storage reservoirs on either the Jhelum or Chenab, in part due to the restrictions of terrain, and in part to the restrictions of the Indus Waters Treaty.

There is thus no way in which the operation of the few Indian run-of-the-river hydroprojects in the Chenab and Jhelum basins could have a significant adverse (or protective) effect on the floods coming into Pakistan.

An important part of the Indus Treaty is the sharing of data between India and Pakistan.

An important supplement might be a joint program to provide the population on both sides with objective information on the effects of actions in both India and Pakistan during times of drought and flood.

This is something that could be done easily and transparently by a pair of competent Pakistani and Indian academic institutions.

It could do much to dispel the endless rumours and enhance trust between the two countries on the vital issue of the Indus Waters.

John Briscoe, the 2014 Stockholm Water Prize laureate (“the Nobel prize for water”), teaches Environmental Engineering and Environmental Health at Harvard University where he directs the Harvard Water Security Initiative. With a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering (Harvard University, 1976), he has lived in his native South Africa, USA, Bangladesh, Mozambique, India and Brazil.

He was a founding member of the major global water partnerships, including the World Water Council, the Global Water Partnership, and the World Commission on Dams. He serves on various prominent water-related bodies including the Global Agenda Council of the World Economic Forum and the High-Level Advisory Committee for the Murray Darling Basin Authority.




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