A Case Study for Flood Impact Analysis to Develop SustainableFlood Management Measures in Pakistan

Pakistan faces rapid flooding risk because of climatic, economic and social changes. Catastrophic events, especially floods, cause various inequities which effect the sustainable development of counties with ecological, financial, social and political costs that remain constant throughout generations. It is, therefore, of supreme importance to forecast the future effect of flood damage and take action to mitigate the negative impacts and losses caused by floods. The aim of this research study is to explore the flood disasters in Pakistan and highlight the need to mitigate them for the sustainable development of the country. In this research, a case study is conducted to estimate the impacts of the flood on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), affected population and urban damage by using an online intelligent platform, Aqueduct Global Flood Analyser. Different scenarios are created to predict the possible damage using 10-year flood protection level. The results of the study show that 10-year flood protection level can save $18.6 billion on the GDP, reduce urban damage to $2.6 billion and reduce the effects on 4.9 million of the country’s population by 2030. The results of the study reveal that increases in annual affected GDP, affected population and urban damage are more based on severe climate change and socio-economic development trends need to be improved. Line departments such as PDMA (Provincial Disaster Management Authority) and NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) need to make further progress in flood management by enhancing preparedness and response capabilities, which includes improving early warning systems, coordination, and the efficiency of rescue operations.