Flood Risk Management through Community Resilience: A Case Study of District Layyah in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Floods occurring along river Indus in Pakistan caused catastrophic havoc in August 2010 causing number of fatalities and economic losses. These losses are larger in developing countries than in developed countries as developed world has larger recovery capacity and better early warning systems in place. Human settlements are getting closer to the flood plains of river channels due to which communities are more vulnerable to floods. Understanding the flood risk is very crucial to manage the impacts of flooding and in making better and timely decisions. Flood risk management stands in need of a strategy that can stabilize the sustainability with present needs. For seeking understanding of flood challenges due to intensity of flooding impacts, there is a need to enhance the policies, technical knowledge and strategies. And, it can be achieved through coordinated struggle of national and international bodies. Now there is a need for systematic assessment at local level and for more featured datasets and analysis of the flood risk areas. Mix research design was used in research to provide coping strategies towards flood challenges, elaborates the community awareness and preparedness level, satisfaction level against government and NGOs role and present concerns regarding flood risks. Also, investigates the issues pertaining to role of local government institutions and national, international and local organizations which based on the review of the flood risk management in riverine area of district Layyah via in-depth interviews with government and NGOs officials. The study eventually formulates recommendations for the flood risk management and resilience building of communities at local level. These strategies will be a key input into the future development plans and regional planning guidelines. The research also helps the Layyah city local government and community development department to evaluate their system’s performance and make their governance more efficient.