As you all may know, Pakistan is an agro-based economy, thus heavily reliant on water resources. There are many picturesque areas and eye-catching sceneries in Pakistan that are worth visiting. What’s more intriguing, though, is that dams have joined lakes in becoming popular tourist destinations and holiday spots!

Pakistan has approximately 150 dams spread across the country

Dams In Pakistan

Let’s start by discussing what dams are and how they work.

A dam is a physical barrier that slows or limits the flow of subsurface or surface water. Dams build reservoirs that serve multiple purposes, including flood control, irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, fish farming, etc.

Dams and hydropower are frequently combined to produce electricity. Water that can be equally provided to different areas in the country can be gathered or stored in a dam as well. Dams are mandatory for economies like Pakistan which are dependent on their agricultural system.

The majority of the dams in Pakistan are situated in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the Indus River and streams flow through the mountains south to the Arabian Sea.

Here are 10 dams in Pakistan, along with their water storage capacity:

1. Tarbela Dam

Located on the Indus River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Tarbela Dam has a storage capacity of 6.77 billion cubic meters of water.

• Location: Indus River, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• Storage Capacity: 6.77 billion cubic meters
• Cost: PKR 18.5 billion (approximately USD 120 million)
• Year of Completion: 1976
• Hydroelectric Power Generation: 4,888 MW

2. Mangla Dam

Located in Azad Jammu and Kashmir's Mirpur District, Mangla Dam has a storage capacity of approximately 5.88 billion cubic meters of water. The dam was built beginning in 1961 and finished in 1967. It is currently one of the key irrigation supplies in the country, and after renovations, it now generates 1,150 megawatts of hydroelectricity.

• Location: Jhelum River, Azad Jammu and Kashmir
• Storage Capacity: 5.88 billion cubic meters
• Cost: PKR 12.5 billion (approximately USD 80 million)
• Year of Completion: 1967
• Hydroelectric Power Generation: 1,150 MW

3. Neelum-Jhelum Dam

Located in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Neelum-Jhelum Dam has a storage capacity of 10.5 billion cubic meters of water.

• Location: Neelum River, Azad Jammu and Kashmir
• Storage Capacity: 10.5 billion cubic meters
• Cost: PKR 414 billion (approximately USD 2.6 billion)
• Year of Completion: 2018
• Hydroelectric Power Generation: 969 MW

4. Rawal Dam

Located in Islamabad, Rawal Dam has a storage capacity of 47,500 acre-feet of water.

• Location: Islamabad
• Storage Capacity: 47,500 acre-feet
• Cost: PKR 1.5 billion (approximately USD 10 million)
• Year of Completion: 1962
• Hydroelectric Power Generation: 45 MW

5. Mirani Dam

Located in the Kech District of Pakistan's Balochistan region, Mirani Dam has a storage capacity of 302,000-acre-feet (373,000,000 m3). The dam was completed in 2006 and was constructed by the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) of Pakistan to supply water to the city of Gwadar.

• Location: Kech District, Balochistan
• Storage Capacity: 302,000 acre-feet
• Cost: PKR 12.5 billion (approximately USD 80 million)
• Year of Completion: 2006
• Hydroelectric Power Generation: 4 MW

6. Diamer Bhasha Dam

Currently under construction, Diamer Bhasha Dam will likely be the highest dam in the entire globe once completed. The dam is being built on the River Indus.

• Location: Indus River, Gilgit-Baltistan
• Storage Capacity: 8.1 billion cubic meters
• Cost: PKR 1.4 trillion (approximately USD 9 billion)
• Year of Completion: Under construction (expected completion in 2028)
• Hydroelectric Power Generation: 4,500 MW

7. Warsak Dam

Located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Warsak Dam has a storage capacity of 315,000 acre-feet of water.

• Location: Kabul River, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• Storage Capacity: 315,000 acre-feet
• Cost: PKR 2.5 billion (approximately USD 16 million)
• Year of Completion: 1960
• Hydroelectric Power Generation: 243 MW

8. Chashma Dam

Located in Punjab, Chashma Dam has a storage capacity of 0.75 million acre-feet of water.

• Location: Indus River, Punjab
• Storage Capacity: 0.75 million acre-feet
• Cost: PKR 1.2 billion (approximately USD 8 million)
• Year of Completion: 1971
• Hydroelectric Power Generation: 184 MW

9. Hub Dam

Located in Balochistan, Hub Dam has a storage capacity of 0.85 million acre-feet of water.

• Location: Hub River, Balochistan
• Storage Capacity: 0.85 million acre-feet
• Cost: PKR 2.2 billion (approximately USD 14 million)
• Year of Completion: 1981
• Hydroelectric Power Generation: 40 MW

10. Namal Dam

Located in Punjab, Namal Dam has a storage capacity of 0.15 million acre-feet of water. The area is bordered by plains used for farming, which irrigate the land. It has developed into a centre for migrating birds, attracting birdwatchers.

• Location: Ravi River, Punjab
• Storage Capacity: 0.15 million acre-feet
• Cost: PKR 1.1 billion (approximately USD 7 million)
• Year of Completion: 2018
• Hydroelectric Power Generation: 5 MW