IN recent weeks, the devastating impact of floods has left Lusaka and other parts of Zambia reeling. Houses are submerged, roads blocked and damaged, bridges washed away, and drinking water sources are contaminated—creating widespread misery for our citizens. It is a scene of utter devastation that speaks to both a failure in urban planning and a lack of effective disaster management. As we watch the waters rise, we are forced to confront a harsh reality: the nation is caught in a paradox, experiencing the twin emergencies of drought and floods simultaneously. We recall that at the onset of this rainy season, President Hakainde Hichilema famously declared that he would rather have floods than drought. At that moment, the Head of...