Recent floods in Pakistan have caused an estimated PKR822bn ($2.91bn) economic loss affecting 6.5m people across 70 districts.
According to an official document the floods have damaged 229,763 homes, vast tracts of infrastructure and large expanses of agricultural lands. It is estimated that the devastating floods – completely destroyed 59,258 houses and partially damaged 170,505 more.
A total of 1,037 people died and 1,067 were injured in flood related incidents. The government has allocated over PKR2bn to compensate the families of the dead, providing PKR2m per person.
The floods also resulted in the loss of 22,841 livestock and severely impacted agricultural land and rural livelihoods. Authorities carried out 5,769 rescue operations, saving over 3m people nationwide.
Earlier estimates by the Pakistan Planning Commission had placed the total losses at PKR744bn, while the IMF projected damages closer to PKR585bn. However, the latest assessment indicate that losses have now reached PKR822bn.
According to a report by https://www.worldweatherattribution.org Pakistan is the fifth most populated country in the world and one of the fastest urbanising countries in South Asia due largely to rural-urban migration within the country.
The report said nearly half of Pakistan’s 96.4m urban residents live in informal settlements. Homes in these areas are often built on riverbanks, drainage basins, and dry riverbeds and are thus at high-risk of flooding.
The settlements are often built from mud and rice husk, making them highly vulnerable. Weak enforcement of building codes, deforestation, and building in flood zones amplify the scale of damage, especially in urban centres.
The report suggests adaptation solutions such as nature-based solutions (e.g. reforestation, restoring wetlands) that can absorb floodwater, rigorous land use planning and discouraging construction in high-risk areas can reduce the number of people exposed to deadly floods, and enhanced flood early warning and early action systems can help people move out of harm’s way in future floods.