lessons learned from past notable disasters. part ii b – pakistan’s floods walter hays, global...
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LESSONS LEARNED FROM PAST NOTABLE DISASTERS.
PART II B – PAKISTAN’S FLOODS
Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna,
Virginia, USA
NATURAL DISASTER FACED BY PAKISTAN NATURAL DISASTER FACED BY PAKISTAN NATURAL DISASTER FACED BY PAKISTAN NATURAL DISASTER FACED BY PAKISTAN
EARTHQUAKES
CYCLONES
FLOODS
LANDSLIDES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
DEVELOP POLICIES FOR ACTIONS HAVING HIGH BENEFIT/COST
DEVELOP POLICIES FOR ACTIONS HAVING HIGH BENEFIT/COST
GOAL: FLOOD DISASTER GOAL: FLOOD DISASTER RESILIENCE RESILIENCE
GOAL: FLOOD DISASTER GOAL: FLOOD DISASTER RESILIENCE RESILIENCE
NORTHWEST PAKISTAN (AND AFGHANISTAN) HIT BY
CATASTROPHIC FLOODING AFTER PROLONGED
MONSOON RAINS
JULY 28-AUGUST 23, 2010
[NOTE: War and Ramadan (which began on Aug 12) were major hinderances]
Over 1,600 Pakistanis died (and probably many more) and more than 20,000,000 were impacted, including 3,500,000 children, as rains swelled rivers, inundated
villages, and triggered landslides, causing entire villages, roads, and
bridges to be swept away and leaving some areas isolated.
Summer floods are common as a result of monsoon rains that swell
rivers and streams across Pakistan, but 2010’s floods, which began in
May and continued through August were the worst in 80 years, setting
records in the province of KhyberPakhtunkhwa, parts of the Pakistan-administered Kashmir
region, and the Punjab province.
PAKISTAN PAKISTAN COMMUNITIESCOMMUNITIES
PAKISTAN PAKISTAN COMMUNITIESCOMMUNITIES
DATA BASES DATA BASES AND INFORMATIONAND INFORMATIONDATA BASES DATA BASES AND INFORMATIONAND INFORMATION
HAZARDS: GROUND SHAKING GROUND FAILURE SURFACE FAULTING TECTONIC DEFORMATION TSUNAMI RUN UP AFTERSHOCKS
•HAZARD MAPS•INVENTORY•VULNERABILITY•LOCATION
FLOOD RISKSFLOOD RISKS
RISK
ACCEPTABLE RISK
UNACCEPTABLE RISK
TOWARDS FLOOD DISASTER TOWARDS FLOOD DISASTER RESILIENCERESILIENCE
•PREPAREDNESS•PROTECTION•EMERGENCY RESPONSE•RECOVERY and RECONSTRUCTION
RISK MANAGEMENTRISK MANAGEMENT
FLOOD RESILIENCE GOALSFLOOD RESILIENCE GOALS
• PREPAREDNESS (BE READY FOR WHAT HAPPENS)
• PROTECTION (BUILD TO WITHSTAND)
• PREPAREDNESS (BE READY FOR WHAT HAPPENS)
• PROTECTION (BUILD TO WITHSTAND)
FLOOD RESILIENCE GOALSFLOOD RESILIENCE GOALS
• REAL-TIME MONITORING AND WARNING SYSTEMS (EVACUATION)
• EMERGENCY RESPONSE (RESPOND TO NEEDS OF PEOPLE)
• RECOVERY/RECONST. (RESTORE TO NORMAL QUICKLY)
•
• REAL-TIME MONITORING AND WARNING SYSTEMS (EVACUATION)
• EMERGENCY RESPONSE (RESPOND TO NEEDS OF PEOPLE)
• RECOVERY/RECONST. (RESTORE TO NORMAL QUICKLY)
•
The survival of some of the poorest of the poor living in the districts of Nowshera, Charsadda, Peshawar,
Swat, and Lower Dir became problematic very early because of
the prolonged, catastrophic nature of the monsoon rains and flooding.
The USA provided $60 million for immediate emergency assistance
along with Navy and Marine helicopters, rescue boats, water
filtration units, prefabricated steel bridges and thousands of packaged
meals, which Pakistani soldiers tossed from helicopters
The United Nations announced Saturday, July 31, that they would
provide $10 million dollars for immediate emergency assistance
and would appeal for 460 million for an emergency effort to provide
food, medicine, water, and shelter, especially for 3.5 million children.
International response to the appeal of the United Nations for $460
million was unusually slow due mainly to global economic slow-
down.
In Afghanistan, NATO and Afghan troops flew dramatic helicopter rescue missions in militant-held
territory, displaying "acts of heroism that were awe inspiring," according to a spokesman for the Combined Air Power Transition
Force.
30,000 Pakistani troops rescued 28,000 people using helicopters and other means, and distributed water
and food.
By August 12th, rain-swollen rivers were receding, but the disaster was
still growing because many of Pakistan’s poorest of the poor families had not only lost their
homes, but also the ability to feed themselves, and were now threatened with disease..
The rains paused on Monday, August 2, for a time, but survival for thousands was already a race with
time as evacuation, search and rescue, mass care (food, clean water, and short- and long-term health care to
prevent disease) were severely hindered by the widespread
inundation and loss of infrastructure.
On August 12th, Pakistan’s President Zardari made his first trip to Sukkur to view the flood impacts
and to assure angry citizens concerned that they had been
abandoned, that the Government was working very hard to obtain
international relief.
The people protested to the government, because they
perceived that the urgent need adequate temporary shelters,
and clean drinking water and toilets to avert a public health catastrophe
was NOT being met.
LESSON: TO REACH THE GOAL OF FLOOD RESILIENCE - - -
LESSON: TO REACH THE GOAL OF FLOOD RESILIENCE - - -
• ALL SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY NEED TO HAVE A ROLE IN IMPLEMENTING POLICIES THAT WILL LEAD TO FLOOD RESILIENCE.
• ALL SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY NEED TO HAVE A ROLE IN IMPLEMENTING POLICIES THAT WILL LEAD TO FLOOD RESILIENCE.