Dr Mohsin Hafeez, Global Director for Water, Food and Ecosystems at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), has said that harvesting just 25 percent of annual rainfall can significantly reduce groundwater depletion and help control urban flooding in Islamabad.
Rainwater harvesting curbs groundwater depletion, urban flooding in Islamabad: IWMI official
ISLAMABAD, Jul 06 (APP):Dr Mohsin Hafeez, Global Director for Water, Food and Ecosystems at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), has said that harvesting just 25 percent of annual rainfall can significantly reduce groundwater depletion and help control urban flooding in Islamabad.
In an interveiw with APP, he said IWMI had demonstrated an innovative groundwater recharge model at Kachnar Park, Sector I-8 in the federal capital that stored over 566,000 litres of rainwater at a single site during the last four years while improving groundwater levels and quality.
He said the pilot project was established at a flood-prone site where rainwater from a nearby parade ground regularly inundated the surrounding area during the monsoon. A small recharge pond was constructed to capture runoff, which passes through natural filtration layers of sand and stones before seeping into the aquifer.
Dr Hafeez said the site was equipped with a real-time rain gauge, water flow monitoring instruments and groundwater monitoring sensors, enabling researchers to generate scientific evidence on groundwater recharge and water quality for the first time in Islamabad.
He said monitoring data collected since June 2022 showed the project had recharged more than 566,000 litres of water and raised the local groundwater table by about 4.5 mm without compromising groundwater quality.
Encouraged by the results, he said, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) approved 100 groundwater recharge sites across Islamabad in 2024 before expanding the initiative with another 100 sites. Around 200 recharge sites are now operational in different parts of the city.
He said the initiative had not only improved groundwater recharge but also reduced rainwater flooding and eased pressure on stormwater drainage channels.
Dr Hafeez said residents living near the recharge sites had reported less flooding during the monsoon season and improved water availability from household boreholes, enabling them to access groundwater for longer periods each day.
He said IWMI’s research indicated that harvesting one-fourth of the city’s annual rainfall would be sufficient to stabilise groundwater depletion in Islamabad.
The IWMI official said the project’s success had also influenced public policy. CDA had incorporated groundwater availability assessments into its by-laws, making them mandatory before approving new housing schemes.
He said the institute, in collaboration with the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) and other stakeholders, also contributed to the development of Green Building Codes requiring rainwater harvesting systems in new buildings.
Dr Hafeez said that The Federal Cabinet, under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, approved the Green Building Code of Pakistan and the Rainwater Harvesting Provisions for the Building Code on July 30, 2025. The Pakistan Engineering Council(PEC) formally launched these codes on December 23, 2025, paving the way for their wider adoption and implementation to promote sustainable construction practices, including rainwater harvesting, across Pakistan.
He said the pilot project cost only about US$15,000, demonstrating that relatively small investments could produce substantial environmental and community benefits.
“We don’t conduct research for the sake of research. We generate evidence that helps shape policy and improve people’s livelihoods through practical, climate-resilient solutions,” he concluded.
