Punjab Flood Response: Policy, Community and Partnerships

Under its efforts of curating awareness sessions based on pertinent issues, CBS organized a timely panel talk titled “Punjab Flood Response: Policy, Community and Partnerships” in September 2025. The session held in the Suleman Dawood School of Business - LUMS brought together leading academic experts, medical professionals, and representatives from humanitarian and non-governmental organisations to examine the evolving landscape of food insecurity, relief delivery, and post-disaster rehabilitation in flood-hit communities.

The session was opened by Arzoo Ali Gauhar (Head of Unit at CBS), she aligned the centre’s mission towards the advancement of SDGs with organizing such awareness sessions for the community at large. The expert panel included Dr. Ghazal Mir Zulfiqar (Associate Professor, Suleman Dawood School of Business - LUMS) as the moderator, Dr. Ahmad Ali Gul (Assistant Professor, UMT), Dr. Sana Khosa (Assistant Professor LUMS - Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities & Social Sciences), Dr. Asif Tanvir Hashmi (Physician) and Musa Aamir (Co-Founder Rizq).

The speakers highlighted that repeated reliance on emergency food aid without systemic planning perpetuates vulnerability. Integrating local food systems, health, and nutrition was identified as crucial especially given the surge in malnutrition, waterborne disease, and maternal health risks during and after floods. Field practitioners and NGOs emphasised community-based, women-led initiatives and local trust networks as the backbone of effective response, while participants pointed out persistent data and coordination gaps that limit targeted action. The discussion moved beyond immediate disaster relief to stress the need for long-term food security and climate-resilient systems in Punjab.

The session closed with a shared call to develop frameworks that connect public institutions, academia, and grassroots efforts through transparent, technology-enabled systems.

CBS also collaborated with the LUMS Student Council for a fundraiser at the event for the flood victims, to mobilize university wide efforts towards the cause.