Flood Risk and Reduction Approaches in Pakistan

Abstract

Globally, flood is a recurrently occurring damaging phenomenon. In terms of flood related damages, approximately 90 % is reported from the developing countries, where poverty is a major risk factor and holding low resilience. Pakistan has no exception to it, where flood is a frequently occurring adverse event. Pakistan is one of the flood prone countries in the world because of its physical and climatic characteristics. The Indus plain is occupied by more than 120 million population, where agriculture is a major source of livelihood earnings. Majority of them are poor section of the society and tenant cultivators. During the span of 67 years (1947–2013), on average of 4-year, a severe flood hit the country. The increasing population, degradation of ecological environment and the changing climate scenario have further multiplied the risk of flood disasters. It has been estimated that Pakistan is suffering from frequent flood disasters and so far 11,239 human lives were lost, out which 1,985 is reported from the super-flood of 2010. It was a century worst flood, where 20 million people were affected and over 100,000 km² (1/5th of the country total area) inundated and ≈US$ 10 billion economic loss was registered. Since the inception of Pakistan 1947, efforts have been made for building resilience through various flood reduction approaches. The existing flood reduction strategies range from structural to non-structural measures. This chapter provides a review of risks associated with flash and river flooding in Pakistan. It also gives an analytical discussion on the historic flood events and their adverse impacts. In addition, the flood risk reduction approaches undertaken so far in Pakistan have also been discussed.