Forgotten Riverbeds and Pakistan’s Climate Challenge -

By Malik Bilal
Rivers look permanent on a map, but they are anything but in Pakistan, the Indus and its tributaries have shifted courses for centuries, feeding civilizations while also abandoning towns, fields and entire landscapes. From the vanished Ghaggar–Hakra to the seasonal nullahs that flood our cities, these rivers remind us of a simple truth: water remembers its path.
The Indus, Pakistan’s lifeline is also one of its most restless rivers. Carrying heavy loads of silt, it raises its bed until it bursts into new channels. Modern barrages and canals have slowed its flow but they have also intensified problems. Downstream of Kotri, sediment has built up so much that the river can no longer carry major floods. The Indus delta has lost over 90 percent of its active area since the 19th century and seawater intrusion now threatens nearly 1.7 million hectares of farmland in Sindh.
Punjab’s rivers tell a similar story. Geological studies show that the Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab once flowed into the Ganges before tectonic tilting redirected them into the Indus system. Even today, the Sutlej shifts across its floodplain, eroding farmland and reshaping communities. These migrations show how fragile settlements are when rivers change course.
The story of the Ghaggar–Hakra is equally striking. Once home to many Indus Valley settlements, this ancient channel dried as rainfall declined and rivers were captured by other systems. Scientific studies confirm that it was likely monsoon-fed, not a perennial Himalayan river, during the Harappan period. Its decline offers a sobering reminder: civilizations rise and fall with their rivers.
Not all shifting waterways are mighty rivers. Seasonal streams and nullahs surge with flash floods across Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh. In Karachi and Rawalpindi, once-natural drains like Lyari, Malir and Lai Nullah have been encroached upon and clogged. When monsoons arrive, they overflow with deadly consequences. Each flood season, Pakistan pays the price of building over nature’s pathways.
This history is not just academic. With climate change bringing erratic monsoons, faster glacial melt and rising seas, Pakistan’s rivers will behave even more unpredictably. Ignoring old floodplains, blocking nullahs and neglecting sediment management are recipes for disaster.
The government’s Living Indus Initiative, launched in partnership with the United Nations and was once hailed as a flagship effort to restore the Indus Basin through nature-based solutions. It set an ambitious target of restoring 25 million hectares by 2030 and has already undertaken activities such as community ponds for groundwater recharge, salinity control in the Lower Indus and pilot wastewater treatment projects. Yet progress has slowed with only a fraction of the target area restored and financing gaps looming large. Reviving the initiative with strong governance, transparent monitoring and renewed donor support is essential to safeguard the basin’s ecology and Pakistan’s climate resilience.
What is needed is clear. Pakistan must zone and protect floodplains, restore natural drains in cities and manage sediment at barrages. Investment in early warning systems and local governance to enforce land-use regulations is critical. These actions directly align with Pakistan’s commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 6 on water, SDG 11 on sustainable cities and SDG 13 on climate action.
Donors and policymakers have a crucial role to play. Supporting climate-resilient infrastructure, integrated water management and stronger institutions is not just about avoiding floods. It is about safeguarding agriculture, urban economies and millions of lives.
Rivers are not fixed lines; they are living systems. From the shifting Indus to the ghostly Hakra and the clogged nullahs of Karachi, the lesson is constant: respect the memory of water or face the consequences. In a century where water will decide Pakistan’s future, the choice is ours.
About the Author: Malik Bilal is a development professional with expertise in emergency response, recovery and governance in conflict-affected areas of Pakistan. He has worked with UN agencies and international organizations to strengthen resilience, support reforms and deliver strategic programs.