This document provides a gap analysis of existing flood policies in Pakistan. It discusses the causes of floods in Pakistan such as heavy rainfall, dam breakage, and poor infrastructure. It outlines the types of floods, including coastal, river, and flash floods. The document then reviews the history of major floods in Pakistan since 1955, which have caused widespread damage. It assesses gaps in policies from 2000-2010 and provides the government's vision for reducing flood impacts over the next 10 years through improved prevention, preparedness, and response.

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GAP analysis of existing flood policies of Pakistan
Group Members:
 Umer Shahid
 Zain Ahmed
 Haider Sikandar
 Faizan Sabir
 Zohaib Naseer
 Muhammad Daniyal Abdullah
 Muhammad Arsalan
Submitted to: Madam Saima
Submission Date:
BS-Geophysics 2-A

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Contents
 Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………3
 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..4
 Definition of Flood ……………………………………………………………………..4
 Causes of Floods in Pakistan…………………………………………………………….5
 Types of Floods in Pakistan……………………………………………………………..6
 History of Floods in Pakistan……………………………………………………………7
 Gap analysis 2000-10 flood damages.……………………………..……………………8
 Vision 2025 next 10 year plan…………………………………………………………..9
 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...14
 References………………………………………………………………………………14

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Abstract:
Pakistan is a country which have different types of landforms, all four seasons and rivers.
Pakistan have become victim of floods a number of times. These floods has affected the
infrastructure and economy of Pakistan very badly. Millions of people has lost their lives and
homes and billions worth of property has been destroyed. This report contains the causes due
to which floods are created, types of floods, history of all major floods which has affected our
country so far and the vision of government of Pakistan to prevent these natural hazards. Many
steps has been taken by government of Pakistan to reduce the effects of floods and Government
has planned a vision for next 10 years.

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Introduction:
The word “flood” is come from an old English word “flod” which means the flow or to fill. Flood
is a natural hazard which occurs when water comes out from its reservoir or its path, along which
it flows, due to its excess. It can be caused by natural processes as well as human activities. The
easiest illustration of flood is when we fill a bucket with water and then add more water in it then
the water will start to come out of the bucket. Pakistan has become the victim of flood many times
and it has caused millions of deaths and billions worth of destruction. Although natural hazards
cannot be stopped but its destruction can be reduced by taking safety precautions and
measurements.
Definition:
There are many definitions of flood but the two which are widely used are following:
“The over flow of water from the river or lake when it increases from its holding capacity”
OR
“The covering of normally dry land by water that has escaped or been released from the normal
confines of: lake, river, reservoir, canal, dam or other natural watercourse, whether or not
altered or modified”
The pictures below show the areas which have become victims of flood.

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There is a big confusion in people about the difference between flood and tsunami. Many people
think that both are same but the main difference between flood and tsunami is that flood occurs on
land, caused by the over flow water from the lakes and its reservoirs, and tsunami occurs in ocean
or sea caused by the tectonic activity.
Causes of Floods in Pakistan:
Flood can be caused by a number of factors. In Pakistan flood usually occurs in monsoon seasons
due to heavy rainfalls. Following are the factors which produces floods:
 Heavy Rainfalls:
Flooding in rivers is generally caused by heavy rainfall in the catchments during the Monsoon
season in Pakistan. Floods can be caused by the quick heavy rainfalls or continuous slow rainfalls
which occurs for days.
 Strong Winds:
Sea water can be carried by massive winds and hurricanes onto the dry coastal lands causing flood.
It does not occur very much but if do then occurs in coastal areas like Karachi.
 Dam Breakage:
Dam is a manmade block to hold water in it. When the water level exceeds from the holding
capacity of dam then the floods occurs. It can also occur when the base level of dam is raised due
to sediments deposits and decrease its holding capacity.
 Poor Sanitation and Unplanned Constructions:
Pakistan has very poor sanitation system so whenever heavy rainfalls occurs water does not drains
from roads causing flash floods. Unplanned construction is also a factor due to which floods occur
because buildings and other societies are constructed along the pathways of water bodies. So even
a small flood occurs it cause large damage to property and human lives.
 Rise in Basin Level:

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Water in streams carry sediments which settle down when velocity of water decreases which
results in rise of basin level, so less water will be stored in basin, ultimately causing flood. Basin
level should be kept lower in order to avoid floods.
 Ice and Snow melting:
Due to the global warming the glaciers are melting and aiding water into the stream and becoming
a causes of flood. Mountainous areas remain covered by snow in winter season but in summer it
starts melting and aids water into stream channel.
Types of floods in Pakistan:
Floods are divided into two categories
(1) According to Location
(2) According to Duration
According to Location:
 Coastal Flooding:
Coastal flood occurs in areas that lie on the coast of a sea, ocean, or other large body of open water.
It is typically the result of extreme tidal conditions caused by severe weather. Storm surge
produced when high winds from hurricanes and other storms push water onshore overwhelming
low-lying areas. The south-eastern Sindh and the Makran coast usually become victim of this type
of flood.
 Arroyos Flooding:
Arroyo are dry rivers and when heavy rainfall occurs, these rivers flood. They usually remain dry
whole year but in raining season they are filled with water. It can also be caused when snow melts
aiding large amount of water in these dry rivers.
 River Floods:
When heavy rain occurs, rivers are sometimes fed more water than they can hold, causing it to
flood areas surrounding the river. It can also be caused by heavy snow melt and ice jams. The

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damage from a river flood can be widespread as the overflow affects smaller rivers downstream,
often causing dams and dikes to break and swamp nearby areas.
 Urban Floods
When metropolitan areas experience heavy rainfall, unless the city has a good drainage system,
the streets will flood due to the lack of absorption materials such as trees and grass. Urban
floods occur in the major cities of Pakistan, they are also common in the monsoon season.
According to Duration
 Flash floods:
Flash or seasonal floods are common in the northern areas of Pakistan and cause great loss of life
there. This kind occurs within a very short time (2-6 hours, and sometimes within minutes) and is
usually as a result of heavy rain, dam break or snow melt. Flash flooding occurs when soil
absorption, runoff or drainage cannot adequately disperse intense rainfall, and is usually caused
by slow-moving thunderstorms. Flash floods are generally defined as developing in six hours or
less from rainfall to the onset of flooding. Most dangerous because they are spontaneous and there
is no time to take safety precautions.
 Slow-Onset Floods:
This kind is usually as a result of water bodies over flooding their banks. They tend to develop
slowly and can last for days and weeks. They usually spread over many kilometers and occur more
in flood plains (fields prone to floods in a low-lying areas). The effect of this kind of floods on
people is more likely to be due to disease, malnutrition or snakebites. Mostly damages agriculture
and roads. In Pakistan they occurs in monsoon season due to heavy rainfalls and snow melting on
mountainous areas.
 Rapid-Onset Floods:
Similar to flash flood but takes slightly longer to develop and the flood can last for a day or two
only. It is also very destructive, but does not usually surprise people like Flash floods. They occurs
in areas which are near the rivers and dams, caused when dam open water due to its filled capacity.

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History of Floods in Pakistan:
Pakistan has experienced a lot of flooding especially during the monsoon season, Pakistan has
become victim of 9 major flooding since 1947.The major floods of Pakistan were in 1955, 1970,
1988, 1992, 1994, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012. These floods has caused destruction in the
country taking lives of millions of people and leaving millions homeless. However the latest flood
in 2010 was the devastating which damage the infrastructure and economy of Pakistan.
 From 4 to 6 October 1955, heavy rainfalls in Dalhousie, Sialkot, Ujh and Basantar rivers,
almost the entire catchment area of the Ravi River caused flood. These Monsoon rains
killed an estimated 2,900 people across the country. Punjab Province, including the city of
Lahore, was among the worst hit when the River Ravi flooded. Over 100,000 homes were
destroyed, leaving around 900,000 people homeless.
 The 1992 monsoon caused widespread rain on the catchments of the Indus, Jhelum, and
Chenab rivers. The continuous 5-day rainfall during 7-11 September was the highest in the
history in the same period. The rainfall led to flooding in the Chenab, Jhelum and Indus
River. The breaching of flood protection levees (FPLs) exposed large areas to the ravages
of the flood, which inundated 13,000 villages, damaged 960,000 houses, affected 4.8
million people, and killed more than 1,000 (World Bank 1996). The Government of
Pakistan estimated the damage at about $1.4 billion, including $0.5 billion worth of damage
to public infrastructure. The hardest hit were the agriculture and communication sectors,
for which the cost of flood damage repair was estimated at a total of $396 million
 Widespread rains from July to September in 1994 caused flooding in the Indus and Sutlej
rivers. The Government’s damage assessment reported that, as of 21st September, the
floods had killed 386 people, damaged 557,000 houses, and resulted in the loss of 14,000
cattle and of about 700,000 ha of crops.
 In 2003, Sindh province was badly affected when above normal monsoon rainfall caused
flooding in the province; urban flooding also hit Karachi where two days of rainfall of
284.5 millimeters (11.20 in) created havoc in the city, while Thatta district was the worst
hit where 404 millimeters (15.9 in) rainfall caused flash floods in the district. At least 484
people died and some 4,476 villages in the province were affected

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 In 2007, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and coastal Balochistan were badly affected due to
monsoon rainfall. Sindh and coastal Balochistan were affected by Cyclone Yemyin in June
and then torrential rains in July and August, while Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was affected by
melting glaciers and heavy rainfall in July and August. At least 130 people died and 2,000
were displaced in Khyber-Pakhtunkwain in July and 22 people died in August, while 815
people died in Balochistan and Sindh due to flash floods.
 In 2009 Karachi faced the flood due to heavy rainfall. In almost thirty years it was first
time that the flood was a little destructive killing 26 people and took injury rate to almost
150 in counting. Several were killed due to the collapsing of the roof top and some were
killed by the falling of the loose debris from the nearby mountains. Commercial markets
were waterlogged and hundreds of vehicles were trapped during the flood. Meteorology
departments recorded the rain to be of 18 mm. This flood lasted for almost one month.
 This flood began in late July 2010, resulting from heavy monsoon rains in the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab and, Balochistan regions of Pakistan, which affected the
Indus River basin. Approximately one-fifth of Pakistan's total land area was underwater,
approximately 796,095 square kilometers (307,374 sq. mi), directly affecting about 20
million people, mostly by destruction of property, livelihood and infrastructure, with a
death toll of close to 2,000. The World Health Organization reported that ten million people
were forced to drink unsafe water. The Pakistani economy was harmed by extensive
damage to infrastructure and crops. Damage to structures was estimated to exceed US$4
billion, and wheat crop damages were estimated to be over US$500 million. Total
economic impact may have been as much as US$43 billion.
 In September 2011, at least 361 people were killed, some 5.3 million people and 1.2 million
homes affected as well 1.7 million acres of land was destroyed when massive floods swept
across the province of Sindh as a result of monsoon rains
 In September 2012, more than 100 people died, and thousands of homes destroyed, with
thousands of acres of arable land affected when intense rainfall battered Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, Southern Punjab and Upper Sindh. As a result of monsoon rains.
 In August 2013, Pakistan and parts of eastern Afghanistan experienced unusually heavy
rainfall that caused widespread flash flooding. In Pakistan more than 180 died and 66,000

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people were affected by the rain and resulting floods. Many of the deaths were the result
of collapsed houses or by electrocution from downed power lines. In Afghanistan more
than 90 deaths were reported.
 In September 2014 Due to massive rain in Jammu and Kashmir as well as Azad Jammu
and Kashmir and in Punjab Constituted flood situation in River Chenab and River Jhelum.
By September 24, about 280 people in Pakistan had died due to the floods.
GAP Analysis on 2000-10 flood Policies:
Pakistan is vulnerable to floods and every year in monsoon season there is threat of floods. Pakistan
has become victim of floods many times and been affected badly by it. Pakistan has lost many
lives and property due destruction caused by floods. In the last decade Pakistan has been affected
seriously by consistent floods. Government of Pakistan has make many policies regarding the
floods, how to reduce flood’s effect, to rehabilitate the people and to build destroyed infrastructure
again. It is quite challenging for Government of Pakistan to act on these policies because it is a
very big task for them.
Following policies were made in 2000-10 by government of Pakistan:
 Create a platform that give meteorological and flood information, improve flood
forecasting and warning system so that the people and different disaster managing
companies can use this data.
 To rehabilitate all the affected people by giving them proper shelter, giving them financial
aid, proper treatments, food, nutrition and education, giving them job opportunities and all
other basic needs.
 To attenuate flood peaks, construct additional multi-purpose storages (including flood
control) by building levees, dams and modify the irrigation system so that water can be
utilized properly and in efficient manner.
 Improve the sanitation system not only to avoid floods but also to reduce the disease caused
by flood.
 Solve water distribution issues with India to avoid flood conditions in both countries.
 Continue with the construction of additional flood protection facilities
 Creation of public awareness education on flood related intervention

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 Support a special study to explore various methodologies such as dredging, flushing and/or
removal of accumulated sediment from river beds, particularly in the lower reaches of
Indus, to check the river levels from rising further
 Promote and support research for better understanding of the monsoon systems
 Strengthen Pakistan Metrological Department through modern weather forecasting
equipment
 Review the design and maintenance standards of existing flood protection structures, and
make improvement where necessary to bring them to the level of functional capability and
reliability
 Improvement of design and standards of flood protection interventions
 Establish and promote flood zoning and enforce appropriate land use by avoiding growth
of vulnerable developments in flood-hazard areas.
 Develop River Laws to protect waterways and flood plains from encroachment, misuse etc.
Although many flood policies were made in year 2000-10 by Government of Pakistan, but they
did not succeeded in implementing these policies, and in result of this Pakistan again was affected
by floods in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. There were a number of issues in implementing these policies
but the incompetent leadership was mainly responsible for this. Federal Flood Commission (FFC)
was established in 1976, for flood protection projects but it failed due to corruption. All the work
they done was either improper or only existed on papers. Other organizations which were also
responsible for the implementation of flood policies started to blame each other for the failure.
Political issues and corruption on higher level also became reasons for failure of these policies.
Financing these policies was also an issue because the economy of Pakistan was not healthy
enough. Government of Pakistan had no other option but to take loans from World Bank and other
developing organizations. Climate changing in last few years has also created a problem because
due to global warming glaciers are melting and adding water in its channels. Pakistan also made a
policy to reduce the Carbon Dioxide emission in atmosphere, although Pakistan is responsible for
only a small fraction of CO2 emission globally. Improper land use, poor urban infrastructure and
haphazard settlement are visible reasons that converted a weather event into a disaster. These
illegal and unplanned constructions should be stopped and alternatives should be provided by
Government of Pakistan otherwise they will remain a main cause in destruction caused by floods.
Deforestation is also a cause in floods because tree stop soil from eroding. There are number of

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Forrest mafias which are cutting trees illegally and are not caught for doing such criminal activities.
Government of Pakistan has learned lessons from the past and now has made a vision for the next
10 years, which focus on the flood policies. We just have wait to see if the government succeed in
implementing those policies because in the past they are unable to implement.
Vision 2025:
Conflicts across competing water uses and users are growing every day. Access to an adequate
supply of water for the agriculture, industry and domestic sectors is one of the priorities of the
Vision 2025. The Plan provides a roadmap to provide clean and judicious amount of water to all
sectors and stakeholders. In this regard, the federal and provincial governments will leave no stone
unturned to enhance water storages and conservation, including construction of small, medium
and large dams. A comprehensive set of strategies encompasses the following:
 Water Storage
 Water Conservation
 Flood Management
 Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
 Water Governance
 Water Pollution
Knowledge-based interventions:
The following steps will be taken:
 An operational mathematical model of the Indus Basin will be prepared for an efficient
management of the water resources, taking into account the factor of climate change.
 Efficient and effective hydro-meteorological data dissemination systems will be put in
place.
 Nationwide surveys will be undertaken for assessment of the groundwater, including its
quality, quantity, withdrawal and recharge potential.
 Conflict resolution mechanism will be strengthened to manage disputes and ensure
equitable and fair sharing of water.

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 Economic instruments will be designed using value and prices for efficiency and equity. It
will improve allocative and technical efficiency for sustainable social and economic
development.
 Information management and exchange to improve knowledge for better water
management will be done.
 Participatory assets management will be extended.
 Steps will be taken for reducing the unaccounted and non-revenue water.
Trans-boundary water issues:
The following steps will be taken during the Plan period:
 Necessary measures will be intensified for resolving the trans-boundary water issues with
India and for implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty (1960) in letter and spirit,
including capacity-building of institutions.
 Consultations on other trans-boundary issues will be initiated, such as pollution, untreated
effluent being passed down to Pakistan from India.
 Since signing of the Indus Waters Treaty, India has developed numerous storage projects
on three Eastern Rivers of Ravi, Sutlej and Beas, and consequently, during the dry season,
there is almost zero flow in these rivers. Minimal environmental flows are required to
protect the river biodiversity.
 India is over-mining the aquifer with the result that groundwater in Western Punjab is also
being affected. This concern will also be pursued and more authentic data will be collected
on this account.
 The Kabul River brings water into the Indus Basin. Construction of projects on the River
and its tributaries can have a negative impact on Pakistan's already scarce water resources,
and violate its historic and lower riparian water rights. Deliberation will be made to pre-
empt and protect these inflows.
 Capacity-building process of the related institutions will be undertaken to effectively
address the trans-boundary waters.

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Water infrastructure and financing:
Both traditional and innovative modes of financing are required to meet the large deficit of deferred
maintenance and capital investment, while higher investments are also necessary for the future
programmes. The allocation in the PSDP for dealing with this has increased considerably over the
years. Since water-related infrastructure is one of the primary responsibilities of the federal
government, the total allocations for this will be increased to Rs247.37 billion in the Plan. Suitable
projects will be prepared and offered to private investment through mechanisms, such as the Build
Operate Transfer (BOT), Build Own Operate (BOO), Build Own Operate and Transfer (BOOT).
Direct investment in the form of loans as well as equity will be promoted and establishment of the
Special Purpose Vehicles will be encouraged to attract financing through bonds and debentures.
Since water is an important sector, it is also hoped that additional funds will be made available by
the multilateral banks, international development agencies and bilateral donors. Levying of
additional charges on consumers to repay capital investment – on the pattern of the Neelum-Jehlum
Hydropower project – will be replicated in other projects. Innovative financing options will be
explored for the Diamer-Bhasha Dam and other similar projects. The Public-Private Partnerships
will be pursued as the preferred mode of financing.
Federal Programme:
The water sector investments have following dimensions:
1. Investment to keep the system operative
2. Investment to keep the system sustainable
3. Investment to keep providing basic human needs, that is, Food, Fiber and Energy
However, the water sector investment has to take into account future needs as the system can
neither be built in pieces nor in a given short time, for example, the Bash Dam Project gestation
period is over ten years including six to seven years of construction period. It is estimated that the
financing requirement is to the tune of Rs249.37 billion in the next five years.

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Innovative Approach:
In order to meet challenges of the growing water demands of the nation, a number of innovative
initiatives will be undertaken. However, a systematic analysis is needed to be made to ensure the
success of these innovative schemes.
Policies Regarding Flood Control:
There are certain steps that are taken by the Pakistani government to cope with this natural
calamity:
 The government is focused on planting more trees in the areas where the floods were most
likely to hit or on the sides of rivers.
 The building of small damns is an effective way of not only saving water but also
preventing floods to some extent.
 The government is trying to build diversion canals so when the rivers overflow the do not
get into towns, cities and villages but got to these canals and flood-ways.
 The first thing Pakistani government is trying to do is coping with the relentless force of
nature to have an effective disaster management cell in all the districts specially the areas
that are most likely to be hit by floods.
 The government is working very closely with the meteorology department so the extent of
severity of rains and floods are being estimated beforehand.
 The government is also educating people on how important covered drainage system is and
how it can prevent the floods.

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 Educating people about causes of floods is very important. Government is holding
seminars and lectures on how this natural disaster can be averted by planting trees and
keeping the drainage system clean.
 The availability of medicine and food is being assured beforehand in the areas where there
was a threat of flood especially in far-flung areas to minimize the loss of human life.
 As the flooding in the season of monsoon is a predictable thing so there is a comprehensive
recovery plan in advance.
 The building of small damns is an effective way of not only saving water but also
preventing floods to some extent.
The floods maybe a natural catastrophe but that does not mean that there are not ways where it can
be minimized if not stopped completely. According to an estimate made by Ministry of National
Food Security and Research, Finance, and some economic experts the overall loss that Pakistan’s
economy suffered during the floods of 2014 could be about 14-16 million USD.
Such huge loss, just in economic sector failed to motivate the government to take any significant
steps to prevent the same happening in 2015 but sadly that is not the case. Hopefully the
Government has realized the importance of planning and is taking steps to prevent more loss of
human life and property.
Conclusion:
Floods has affected the economy of Pakistan very badly. Although it is a natural hazard and cannot
be stopped but different precautions can be taken to reduce the effect of the hazards. Pakistan has
become victim of floods many time and lost a lot of lives and property. In the past decade
Government of Pakistan failed to implement the policies regarding floods which resulted in form
of floods again. Now Government of Pakistan is taking aggressive steps to reduce the effect of

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these natural calamities. Pakistan has to build dams in order to save the water and to reduce the
floods effect.
References:
 Pakistan vision 2025
 www.wikipedia.com
 http://tribune.com.pk/story/39915/floods-in-pakistan--institutional-failures/
 http://potdrum.com/special-report/government-failure-in-controlling-floods-in-pakistan
 http://www.dawn.com/news/1130447