How Bajaur’s Farmers Are Turning to Nature-Based Solutions Against Floods

Shah Khalid Shah Jee

Bajaur: For years, 50-year-old Malik Sadaqat Khan from Hayati village in Utmankhel tehsil watched helplessly as floods from Bajaur’s main river washed into his fields, damaging his crops and eating away at his livelihood.

His eight hectares of farmland, inherited from his ancestors, stood right at the riverbank a vulnerable stretch where floodwaters struck annually. Each season he would lose millions of rupees, leaving his family in constant distress.

Today, however, Sadaqat’s story is different. For the past five years, his farmland has remained safe from flood damage. His solution was not a costly embankment or concrete wall, but a nature-based solution (NBS) — planting trees along the riverbank.

With guidance from the then Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Bajaur, Hayat Ali, and support from the Forest Department, Sadaqat planted Poplar, Acacia, Mulberry, and Yew trees along the edge of his farmland. The result has been transformative.

“By the grace of Allah, the floods no longer threaten my land,” Sadaqat said, proudly noting that his wheat, maize, and rice crops now yield abundantly. “The trees protect the soil, and their wood also brings financial returns.”

Protecting Land, Restoring Livelihoods

Sadaqat is not alone. Across Bajaur, many farmers have discovered that tree plantations are a far more reliable safeguard than government-built protective embankments, which often collapse under heavy floods.

Take the case of Noorullah Khan from Lashora village. His seven-kanal farmland along the Mamund River used to suffer repeated losses during the monsoon. “The government constructed two or three embankments here, but they failed. They collapsed in the floods,” he recalled.

Eight years ago, Noorullah decided to plant trees along his riverbank. Since then, he has not only secured his land but also increased his crop yields. “It is a low-cost solution. We even keep our own nurseries of plants now,” he explained.

The Case for Nature-Based Solutions

According to forest affairs expert and former DFO Bajaur, Hayat Ali, these community-led plantations are proving their worth.

“Every river has its own watershed,” he explained. “If we strengthen it through plantations, the solution will be low-cost, long-lasting, environmentally friendly, and even beneficial for wildlife.”

He contrasted this with the region’s traditional reliance on embankments. “We spend millions, even billions, on protective walls, but they are not sustainable. Plantations, on the other hand, strengthen the land naturally and beautify the landscape.”

Ali pointed to vast opportunities for scaling up such efforts across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa — from Kalam to Mingora — where riverbanks remain exposed.

When Land Cannot Be Saved

Not all farmers have been fortunate. Gul Mast Gujjar, 65, loses five kanals of farmland each year to the Mamund River. “Every flood washes part of my land away,” he lamented. Once a buffalo farmer, he now struggles to feed his livestock, buying fodder from others at extra cost.

“I had to sell most of my buffaloes because I could no longer produce feed,” he said. “Now I keep only one for my family’s needs.”

A District at Risk

Data from the Department of Agriculture Extension Bajaur highlights the scale of the challenge. Out of Bajaur’s 129,036 hectares of reported agricultural land, 77,062 hectares are cultivable. Of this, only 15,970 hectares have access to water; the rest depend on rainfall. Crucially, farmlands located along riverbanks face annual threats from floods, which have worsened due to climate change and erratic rainfall patterns.

Growing Interest in Green Protection

Encouraged by Sadaqat’s success, other landowners in Bajaur are adopting the same approach. “Farmers in my area have started asking me how I protected my land,” he said. “Now many have planted trees to save their fields.”

Although he is unfamiliar with technical terms like “climate change,” Sadaqat recognizes one truth: floods are becoming more frequent and more destructive. Yet, he feels secure knowing his farmland is safe.

“I appeal to all landowners across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to protect their lands through tree plantations,” he urged.

Echoing this, forest expert Hayat Ali said: “Nature-based solutions not only shield land from floods but also provide wood for income. Farmers should reach out to their local forest departments for plants — they will help.”

The Way Forward

Bajaur’s experience offers a clear lesson: while embankments falter, trees endure. As climate change accelerates flooding and erosion across Pakistan, low-cost, community-led, nature-based solutions may hold the key to protecting farmland, livelihoods, and ecosystems — one tree at a time.