NEW WAVES OF FLASH FLOODS AND RISKS PERCEPTION OF CLIMATE CHANGE: AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2022 FLOOD DISASTER IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

Pakistan ranks as the eighth most vulnerable country across the globe to
climate change impacts. It was the second time after the deluge of 2010, that
Pakistan faced heavy monsoon rains from June-August 2022 which resulted in
flash floods. Flood ravages continued in almost all the regions of the four
provinces and have been declared a calamity hit. Rescue operations were
underway across the provinces and taking swift action to evacuate people to safer
places. The deluge has devastated residences, farmlands, infrastructure, and
businesses in abundance. The deadly rain-induced floods displaced many people
from their areas and caused causalities of both humans and animals, and washed
away the protective embankments set up alongside the River banks. This paper
attempts to provide a detailed situational overview of Pakistan’s flood-hit areas,
and give policy recommendations for mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Further, the significance lies in highlighting the role of administrative sectors in
conducting rescue operations amid flood emergencies.