• September 3, 2022
• General News
• Web Admin

Flood in Pakistan

Since its creation, Pakistan has faced severe floods in 1950, 1956, 1957, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1988, 1992 and now in 2010 record flood peak discharges. Floods of various magnitudes occurred between 1922 and 2010. These floods affected the basins of the rivers in Punjab and Sindh. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Balochistan, FATA, G-B, AJK and some areas of Punjab also, damages are caused mainly due to flash floods in secondary and tertiary rivers including from hill torrents.
In upper to mid reaches of Indus Basin, generally main tributaries like Jhelum & Chenab are mostly the cause of flooding. River floods particularly hit Punjab and Sindh while hill torrents tend to affect the hilly areas of KPK, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, FATA, AJK and some areas of southern Punjab i.e. D.G.Khan, Rajanpur. Districts of Charsadda, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar and Swat in KPK are exposed to risks from flooding in the Rivers Kabul, Panjkora & Swat/Khiali. In recent years, vulnerabilities of large cities to flooding have increased. Cities like Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi have experienced flooding due to improper drainage system to cope with heavy rains.

Causes of Floods in Pakistan

The major cause of floods in Pakistan is heavy concentrated rainfall in the river catchments, which sometimes augmented by snowmelt flows, generally result into floods in rivers during the monsoon season. Occasionally, Monsoon currents originating in the Bay of Bengal and resultant depressions often result in heavy downpour in the Himalayan foothills additionally affected by the weather systems from the Arabian Sea (Seasonal Low) and from the Mediterranean Sea (Westerly Wave) cause destructive floods in either or all of the main rivers of the Indus System. However, in some cases exceptionally high floods have occasionally been caused by the formation of temporary natural dams due to land sliding or glacial movement and their subsequent collapse. There are large seasonal variations in almost all the river discharges, which further aggravate the river course and morphology.
The major rivers cause flood losses by inundation of areas along their banks, by damaging irrigation and communication facilities across or adjacent to the rivers, and by erosion of land along the riverbanks. In the upper part of the Indus Basin System, floodwater spilling over the riverbanks generally returns to the river.
However, in the lower part of Indus River (Sindh Province), which is primarily flowing at a higher elevation than adjoining lands, the spill flows do not return to the river. This phenomenon largely extends the period of inundation resulting in even greater damages. Although flood protection by embankments have been provided along almost the entire length in the Sindh Province and at many locations in the upper areas, the bund breaches can still occur. Such breaches often cause greater damage than would have occurred without the bunds because of their unexpected nature and intensification of land use following the provision of flood protection. The inadequate existing discharge capacity of some of the important structures (Barrages and Rail or Road Bridges) on Rivers Indus, Chenab and Ravi are another major reason of flooding. The exceptionally high floods thus result in afflux on the upstream side, which sometimes results in breaches in the flood embankments.
Sometimes, the flood embankments have to be deliberately breached at pre-selected locations to save the main barrage structures and other vital settlements and installations in the vicinity. The encroachment of village abadies in riverine areas has also increased the quantum of flood damages and losses to humans and livestock. As there is no proper regulatory frame work in the country regarding the settlement in riverine areas, most of the poor people Report on Floods 2010 Federal Flood Commission, Ministry of Water & Power 10 have constructed their shelters along the vulnerable river banks and become victims to devastating floods. Some people are making the most of these areas for business purpose through promoting agriculture and cattle Ghats/dairies. All such activities are extending beyond the safe limits of riverine areas to achieve more economic benefits but in fact these activities are posing a great threat to unprecedented and unruly flood; the losses due to which may be in hundred multiples of such small scale economic profit. The river catchments and flood plains are to be kept as prohibited area for the riverine community especially during the flood season. In recent years, vulnerabilities of large cities to flooding have increased. Cities like Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi have experienced flooding due to improper storm water drainage system to cope with heavy rains.
Irrigation Infrastructure Damages
Irrigation system/infrastructure and flood control works were damaged at several places. Major damages included Munds, Amendrah & Kuram Garhi Headworks (KP), RMB Jinnah Barrage, LMB of Taunsa & Guddu Barrages, TP Link Canal, Muzaffargarh Canal along with branches/distributaries, Head Regulators, Drains, Outlets, Flood Embankments, Tori Bund, Ghauspur Bund, M.S Bund etc, Spurs and other structures.

Damages to Power Sector

Power Sector Infrastructures severely damaged in the flood affected areas. Major damages recorded in province of KPK. Hydropower plants of Jagran (30 MW) and Malakand-III (81 MW) were flooded. Power houses of about 2000 MW including KAPCO plant and Muzzafargarh plant were partially shut down due to expected flood hits and unavailability of fuel as road and railway infrastructure was severely damaged. Furthermore, two IPPs of 350 MW each viz AES Lalpir and AES Pakgen were flooded/ inundated for the last 30 days. A number of grid stations, transmission lines and distribution system infrastructure were fully/partially damaged. Partial damages were also occurred to some under construction power plants. Total cost involved in restoration is tentatively estimated at billions.

2010 Floods: Damages and Needs Assessment

In the wake of the 2010 floods, the Government of Pakistan requested ADB and World Bank for carrying out the Damage and Needs Assessment (DNA) survey and the One UN-Organization to lead the Early Recovery Needs Assessment in parallel. The DNA Report assessed the extent of the damage and the required needs for rehabilitation and reconstruction of the damaged assets and infrastructure; and restoration of livelihoods and economic productivity. The objective of the DNA was to provide the strategic underpinnings for medium- to long-term post floods reconstruction, recovery planning, prioritization, and programming. DNA report described a quantification and validation of physical damage and presented sector level recovery and reconstruction strategies in respect of public and private infrastructure, services, and livelihoods. The quantification of corresponding needs was then done with reference to damage and sector level reconstruction strategies. With respect to financial costs the DNA report has been generated against three test.

Categories:

i. Direct Damage refers to the monetary value of the completely or partially destroyed assets, such as social, physical and economic infrastructure immediately following a disaster.
ii. Indirect Losses are income losses, and comprise both the change of flow of goods and services and other economic flows such as increased expenses, curtailed production and diminished revenue, which arise from the direct damage to production capacity and social and economic infrastructure;
iii. The Reconstruction Costs measure the cost of rebuilding lost assets and restoring lost services. It is generally assessed as the replacement cost with a premium added for building back safer. Total damages including direct and indirect losses were estimated approximately PKR 855 billion (US$ 10 billion). The direct damage caused by the floods is estimated at PKR 552 billion (US$ 6.5 billion) while indirect losses amount to PKR 303 billion (US$ 3.6 billion). Sector-wise breakdown of the cost of damages costs is given in Table 9. The reconstruction cost has been provided across the range of three options with option one as the base case and option three as the recommended option. The reconstruction cost for the base case is estimated at PKR 578 billion (US$ 6.8 billion) while for the recommended option costs are estimated at PKR 758 billion (US$ 8.9 billion).
Lessons Learned From 2010 Floods, But Mistakes Of 2010 are Repeat Again in 2022 Flood
The 2010-Floods in Pakistan clearly demonstrate absolute incapacity of the Federal, Provincial and Local Government machinery to deal with disasters and crisis, particularly on such a large scale. The floods have been attributed to heavy rainfall, climatic changes, monsoon patterns, deforestation and damming. There are many lessons to learn from the ongoing flood catastrophe in Pakistan. Some of vital lessons to learn
i. Pakistan Meteorological Department’s Flood Warning System worked well but it has inherited capability constraints, which needs capacity building in Medium Range Forecasting from existing 2-3 days to 10 days and installation of additional weather radars at Chitral, Cherat, Sukkur, Thatta/Badin, Quetta, Pasni/Gwadar, and Regional Flood Forecasting/Warning Centres one in eachprovince to deal with flash flood flows of Hill Torrents, besides floods in main rivers.
ii. Lack of attention to watershed management. Massive deforestation had taken place in KPK, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan resulting in increased run-off and siltation in major reservoirs.
iii. Lack of storage dams (had Munda Dam and medium/small dams on Panjkora & Swat rivers in KP and Akhori Dam d/s Tarbela dam been in place, losses due to floods would have been minimal).
iv. Deferred maintenance of flood embankments (had these been maintained by provinces adequately, major losses would have been averted).
v. Non-professional flood management by provinces. Machinery, adequate stone reserve stock and sand bags etc. at vulnerable sections of flood embankments were not available. Evacuation routes, emergency shelters, war rooms were not properly planned.
vi. Lack of escape channels (U/S Taunsa, Guddu and Sukkur Barrages).
vii. Safety of Barrages (none of the barrages except Taunsa has been remodeled during past 63 years). Most of these are aged structures and do not have the adequate capacity to safely pass the floods of 2010 magnitude.
viii. Lack of capacity of NDMA and PDMAs (newly born entities).
ix. Inadequate budget allocation for maintenance of existing flood protection infrastructures and new flood works.
x. Institutions at Federal and Provincial levels were not adequately prepared to cope with such an unprecedented floods in the context of global climate changes.