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The other day, I came across a truly fascinating video on Facebook. It showcased how Switzerland, a country with mountainous terrain much like our own, has taken remarkable steps to confront the dangers of sudden mudslides, debris flows, and floodwaters laden with massive boulders. These natural hazards pose a constant threat to communities living in steep valleys, yet Swiss engineers have devised an ingenious solution to lessen their destructive force.
The technique involves the installation of three successive layers of high-tensile steel nets, carefully positioned along the course of potential mudslide channels. Each layer acts as a barrier, progressively slowing down, filtering, and dispersing the energy of the rushing debris. Instead of allowing an avalanche of rocks, mud, and water to barrel down unchecked, the nets absorb and distribute the impact, reducing it to a more manageable flow.
This simple yet highly effective approach reflects the kind of innovation that blends engineering foresight with respect for the power of nature—a model that could serve as an inspiration for other mountainous regions facing similar threats.
The first net barrier is anchored across the initial point where the floodwaters begin carrying heavy boulders and dense mud. Its purpose is to intercept and restrain the largest and most dangerous debris—such as massive rocks and logs—before they can gather momentum downstream. By holding back these oversized materials, the first layer substantially reduces the destructive energy of the flow.
The second net barrier is placed further downstream. This net captures medium-sized stones, mud clumps, and residual debris that have slipped through the first filter. The process of interception at this stage ensures that the flow becomes progressively lighter and less forceful.
Finally, the third net barrier performs a final filtration, restraining smaller but still hazardous materials. By the time the water passes this stage, the flood mass has been reduced to a relatively harmless slurry that can flow safely without causing major destruction to settlements, infrastructure, or farmland.
This tiered net system functions much like a progressive sieve, gradually transforming a destructive debris-laden torrent into a manageable water flow. The technique is highly effective because it does not attempt to stop the flood entirely—an impossible task—but instead dissipates its energy in stages and neutralizes its most dangerous components.
Had such a mechanism been installed in vulnerable nullahs and flood-prone sites across Gilgit-Baltistan, the tremendous losses suffered in recent disasters could have been greatly minimized. For instance, during the massive flood that struck Danyore on July 22, 2025, everything in the torrent’s path was swept away, including four irrigation channels and the piped drinking water supply network. The most destructive element of the disaster was not just the water, but the huge boulders carried along with the mudflow, which crushed infrastructure and carved new channels of destruction.
If a system of layered steel netting had been in place, these heavy boulders and debris could have been intercepted, leaving only filtered flows to pass downstream. While such filtered flows would still cause erosion, this could be managed by channeling the water through permanent concrete embankments, thereby keeping watercourses safe and protecting human settlements.
For Gilgit-Baltistan—the polar region of Pakistan and home to one of the world’s largest concentrations of glaciers—such engineering interventions are urgently needed. The region has become increasingly vulnerable to flash floods, mudslides, and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). Replicating Switzerland’s model could offer a practical, life-saving solution for mountain communities.
However, the successful implementation of this system requires international technical and financial assistance. Designing, funding, and installing multi-layered steel net barriers, combined with reinforced watercourses, would demand collaboration between local authorities, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), disaster management institutions, and international development partners. With such support, Gilgit-Baltistan could significantly reduce disaster risks and secure a safer future for its people.
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