2022 FLOOD CRISIS – RESTRICTED TO SINDH AND BALOCHISTAN

Group 4

Flooding events in Pakistan are neither unheard of, nor usually unprecedented phenomena.

They can however be excessive in nature due to the location of the Indus River (prone to

swelling during the monsoon season) being near where majority of the Pakistani population

lives.

It is important to note that although monsoon can produce around 3/4th of Pakistan’s annual

rainfall, over June-August 2022, the country received nearly 190% more rain than its 30 year

average, resulting in widespread flooding, exacerbated when the Indus river burst its banks

(Staff). The 2022 floods in Pakistan have been termed as perhaps one of the most devasting

in history, having inundated villages whilst the country, logistically speaking held limited

preparations for the devastation about to engulf it, proven by the fact that by the time the

government finally issued a declaration on 25th August of the floods constituting a ‘national

emergency’, in many ways, the damage meant to be done, was already done (“The Anatomy

of Pakistan’s 2022 Floods”).

Specific to this project paper, we will be looking at the southeastern province of Sindh and

Balochistan, known to be the most affected by the floods, and known to have experienced the

most damage to human life and infrastructure in the country. The two Provinces have

accounted for more than 50% of the flood related deaths, with causalities also being the

highest between June 14th and August 31st in these regions (“Floods in Pakistan”).(graph in

appendix)

Furthermore, to provide a better contextual understanding of the succeeding events, Id like to

stipulate a brief overview of the causes behind the unprecedented flood crisis. Occurring right

after a severe heatwave and several month-long drought in Sindh and Balochistan, the main
factor responsible for the unprecedented rainfall is perhaps none other than climate change.

Although Pakistan has a minimal carbon footprint, being responsible for less than 1% of

global greenhouse gas emissions, it’s ironically one of the worst affected by extreme weather

at the hands of climate change (Entcheva). In fact, according to the Global Climate Risk

Index, Pakistan is listed as the 8th most vulnerable nation due to disasters posed by climate

change, with urban and flash flooding, glacial lake and cloud bursts all being linked to global

warming(Hussain). Due to the increasing unpredictability of monsoon rains which are

expected to provide relief from the sweltering heat of the summer months, the lack of

knowledge behind whether they’ll be deficient or excessive is perhaps why limited

preparations were made beforehand. Additionally, the country’s rooted susceptibilities play a

great role in understanding the scale of the disaster impact. Perhaps it is said best by

Professor Ilan Kelman, a Professor of Disasters and Health at UCL; “Vulnerability must exist

before a crisis can emerge”, with the World Bank ascribing Pakistan’s high vulnerability to

the country’s “high rates of multidimensional poverty” (Wyns).

WORK CITED PAGE:

“The Anatomy of Pakistan’s 2022 Floods.” Thediplomat.com,

thediplomat.com/2022/10/the-anatomy-of-pakistans-2022-floods/.

Staff, Carbon Brief. “Climate Change “Likely” Increased Extreme Rainfall That Led
to Pakistan Flooding.” Carbon Brief, 15 Sept. 2022,
www.carbonbrief.org/climate-change-likely-increased-extreme-rainfall-
that-led-to-pakistan-flooding/.

‌“Floods in Pakistan.” Reuters,
graphics.reuters.com/PAKISTAN-WEATHER/FLOODS/akpezbzxgvr/.

Entcheva, Ruja. “2022 Pakistan Floods.” Center for Disaster Philanthropy,

disasterphilanthropy.org/disasters/2022-pakistan-floods/.

Hussain, Abid. “Are Catastrophic Floods Pakistan’s New

Normal?” Www.aljazeera.com,
www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/1/pakistans-floods-what-caused-the-
floods.

Wyns, Arthur. “Disaster Diplomacy in the Wake of the 2022 Pakistan Floods.” The
Lancet Planetary Health, Oct. 2022, 10.1016/s2542-5196(22)00240-6.
Accessed 21 Oct. 2022.

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APPENDIX:

https://graphics.reuters.com/PAKISTAN-WEATHER/FLOODS/akpezbzxgvr/ - these graphs show the level of

causalities being highest in Sindh and Baluchistan, as well as Sindh getting 471% more rain than the 30 year
avg and Balochistan getting 411% more.
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