Pakistan’s Indigenous Torwali people are fighting to save the Swat River

May 8, 2026

The Indigenous Torwali community in Pakistan's Swat valley has been leading a resistance movement since 2023 against the 207 MW Madyan hydroelectric project, one of 18 planned schemes threatening their sacred river system. Having witnessed the devastating impacts of the earlier Daral Khwar project, which transformed their paradise into an ecologically damaged area with controlled water flows, the Torwalis formed the Save River Swat Movement to protect their cultural identity and livelihoods. Despite achieving a significant victory in April 2026 when the provincial cabinet approved withdrawal from the Madyan project, the community faces ongoing uncertainty about potential challenges to this decision and continues experiencing intimidation from authorities.

Who is affected

The Indigenous Torwali community living in the Swat valley, northern Pakistan
Children who face drowning hazards from sudden water releases and can no longer safely play in the river
Women who previously collected fresh water from springs
Local farmers and orchard owners along the river banks
Community activists and local village officials facing threats, intimidation, and accusations of working against national interests
Residents of Bahrain town in the Swat district
Communities in affected villages between Madyan and Kalam
Family members of activists subjected to surveillance threats

What action is being taken

The Save River Swat Movement (Darya-e Swat Bachau Tehreek) is mobilizing against the Madyan project
The Torwalis are exchanging hundreds of letters with the World Bank
The movement is holding meetings in Peshawar, Islamabad, and online
Community members are informing international bodies, including UN institutions
The community is engaging with local authorities
Jirgas (gatherings of elders) are being held from Madyan to Kalam
Youth are conducting marches and demonstrations
Press conferences are being held in Swat and Islamabad
Children are writing petitions to the prime minister
Local authorities and government staff are threatening activists with imprisonment and family surveillance

Why it matters

This struggle represents the intersection of Indigenous rights, environmental justice, and cultural survival, demonstrating that development projects have profound consequences beyond electricity generation. For the Torwali people, rivers are sacred entities tied to their goddess Dara, ancestors, language, identity, and entire way of life—not merely resources to be exploited. The Daral Khwar project already demonstrated the devastating ecological and social impacts when rivers are controlled like machines, including dried riverbeds, mosquito breeding, drowning hazards, and the unraveling of cultural and economic systems. The case also highlights critical failures in international development finance, including the World Bank's inability to recognize Indigenous peoples, violations of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent requirements under international law, and the use of intimidation tactics to silence dissent. The movement has established that environmental justice and Indigenous rights are inseparable, and that communities bearing the consequences of development must have meaningful decision-making power.

What's next

The struggle is not over yet, as it remains unclear whether project proponents will challenge the provincial cabinet's April 2026 withdrawal decision or seek equally devastating alternatives. The World Bank has not shared the findings from its June 2025 screening to determine whether the Torwali qualify as Indigenous people under its policy. The World Bank has also made no comments regarding the provincial cabinet's withdrawal decision. The Torwalis state they will continue to defend the Swat River as long as it flows.

Read full article from source: Global Voices