Disaster Management, Flood Management in Pakistan

1. FLOOD MANAGEMENT IN PAKISTAN

2. INTRODUCTION
 Flooding is the most devastating natural hazard in
Pakistan and the recent flooding has demonstrated
its severeness. Floods are common throughout the
country. However, their characteristics differ from
region to region. Monsoon rainfalls are the main
source of floods in the Indus Basin. Floods are
almost annual events in Pakistan. Pakistan has been
experiencing. floods mainly because of its
topography, Sind, Kabul and swat are three hazard
prone rivers, and due to climatic and ecological
condition, Pakistan constantly received flooding
every year.

3. FEDERAL FLOOD COMMISSION
ESTABLISHMENT
– Prior to 1976, the Provincial Governments were responsible
for planning and execution of flood protection works;
– Disastrous floods of 1973 and 1976 resulted in heavy
losses indicating that existing flood protection facilities and
planning were inadequate to provide effective protective
measures for the country;
– Consequently in January 1977, Federal Flood Commission
was established for integrated flood management on
country-wide basis.

4. FEDERAL FLOOD COMMISSION
COMPOSITION
 Chief Engineering Adviser
Chairrman
 Chief (Water), Planning & Development Division ,
Member
 Joint Secretary (Roads), M/O Communications
Member
 Member (Water), WAPDA Member
 Director General, Pakistan Meteorological Department Member
 Member (Civil Engineering), Pakistan Railways Member
 Four Provincial Irrigation Secretaries and representatives Members
from Gilgit-Baltistan, FATA and Azad Jammu & Kashmir

5. FLOOD MANAGEMENT IN
PAKISTAN
 Flood have caused massive damage to infrastructure and
crops in Pakistan, besides loss of life. Monetary losses
during the major floods since 1950 aggregate billion
dollars. Major floods during the years 1955, 1973, 1976,
1988, 1992, 2010 & 2011 resulted in inundation of
millions of acres of land in various parts of Pakistan,
which constituted one of the most serious environmental
hazards. Over 10,668 people lost their lives during these
floods. Floods are detrimental not only in financial terms,
but also in their ability to severely undermine the
productive system, which needs to be free from
uncertainties and frequent disruptions

6. FLOOD MANAGEMENT IN
PAKISTAN
– The complete prevention of floods is almost a physical
impossibility. However, flood protection to the extent it is
technically and economically feasible, is a socio-economic
necessity. By proper planning, means can be devised not
only to minimize flood losses but also to conserve the
surplus flows for augmenting water availability for
productive use of the community. The recent drought,
prolonged as it has been, must not be understood as
meaning that Pakistan will not be hit by severe floods again.
Indeed, the progressively declining storage, if not replaced,
will eventually mean that flood peaks on Indus and Jhelum
will be even higher due to loss of attending ability of the
reservoir.

7. FLOOD MANAGEMENT IN PAKISTAN
 In order to safeguard the Indus Valley and
other flood prone areas from inundation, 5,822
Km (3,600 miles) of embankments have been
constructed along major rivers and their
tributaries in Pakistan.
 The protect embankment, to channelize flows
through barrages and bridges, and to save lands
and areas from erosion, 577 spurs have so far
been constructed.

8. FLOOD MANAGEMENT IN
PAKISTAN
 The nature and need of flood protection facilities very according to specific
physiographic characteristics and local conditions in different parts of
Pakistan.
 In Punjab Province, the problems of inundation and land erosion are both
prevalent.
 In Sindh, the river bed is generally higher than the adjoining lands and the
river slopes are milder due to which the problem of inundation is far more
serious. This is why almost throughout in Sindh, a double line of flood
protection embankments has been constructed along both the banks of
Indus. Wherever river current is anticipated to attack the embankments,
heavy stone pitching and aprons have been provided as protective
measures.
 In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, besides river flooding, hill
torrents create havocs due to their steep slopes which result in flashy
sudden flows of high magnitudes. In these areas, flood
abatement/dispersion structures

9. FLOOD MANAGEMENT IN PAKISTAN
 ISSUES:
 In Pakistan; both structural and non-structural measures
have been used to mitigate flood losses. Principal non-
structural measures include flood forecasting and warning,
permanent relocation of people, flood insurance and land-
use regulations. Under FPSP-I, considerable work has
been done in the field of non-structural measures including
flood plain mapping of some major river reaches. However,
there is lot of room for carrying out more work in this field

10. FLOOD MANAGEMENT IN PAKISTAN
 Although considerable strengthening of
flood forecasting work in the form of
additional weather radar ad telemetric
system, has been done, still greater
emphasis is required on accurately
forecasting precipitation in catchment
areas, and on the development of an
early warning system.

11. INTEGRATED FLOOD MANAGEMENT
Construction of Flood Protection Works along major & other Rivers:
i. Construction of new Flood Protection Infrastructure in vulnerable reaches along
major & other rivers.
ii. Up-gradation/Remodelling of flood protection infrastructure that provide protection
to the urban areas/main cities and important installations such as power stations,
oil refineries, industries etc.;
iii. Flood Management of Hill Torrents through construction of;
(a) Small Dams/Delay Action Dams (Water storage structures);
(b) Flood Management Structures for mitigating flood flows and
Agriculture development. Adequate budget allocation by the Provinces
each year for proper maintenance of existing flood management facilities.
iv. Recommend options for safety inspection and real time monitoring of flood
protection and River Training Works and Barrages using Satellite services of
SUPARCO.

12. INTEGRATED FLOOD MANAGEMENT
FLOOD PLAIN MAPPING/ZONING
i. Flood Plain Mapping/Zoning along all the Indus river and its major tributaries
(Jehlum, Chenab, Ravi & Sutlej, Kabul, Swat, Panjkora) for
restricting/prohibiting by law permanent settlements in high and medium flood
risk areas;
i. Provinces to prepare and pass an Act/River law and ensure its implementation;
i. Develop Web-GIS based inventory showing the complete history of existing
flood protection and River Training Works along main rivers, secondary &
Tertiary rivers including Hill Torrents/local nullahs of the entire country.
ii. Submergence plans for critical reaches along flood embankments;
iii. Identification, resettlement and relocation of villages in flood plains to safe
areas outside the flood bunds;

13. INTEGRATED FLOOD MANAGEMENT
 Provision of Escape Channels/Breaching
Sections:
 Identification of flood escape channels to
desert areas/off channel storages that would
provide major reduction in flood peak
discharge in Indus River System. Also
identify possible sites for underground
reservoirs, retarding basins, etc.

14. GIS used as an tool for flood
management
 GIS and remote sensing is an important tool
for detecting or identifying flood prone areas
and also find out the topography of that
specific area. Satellite images used for
identifying the flood hazard areas in
Pakistan. Through the data of GIS we can
create resilient infra structure in the flood
prone area and can save the most of
destruction. In province Sindh GIS technique
used and find about hazardous prone areas.