Floods: Impacts on Livelihood in the Southern Punjab region of Pakistan

Abstract

In mid-2022, Pakistan experienced a devastating and unprecedented flood that impacted over 33 million people across the country, with the Punjab province being the hardest hit. This study was conducted in Southern Punjab, focusing on assessing the flood's consequences on rural communities' livelihoods and food security. District Rajanpur, a severely affected area in Punjab, was chosen as the study's focal point. The research involved interviews with 100 individuals affected by the flood to gather data, which was subsequently analyzed using the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) software. The study's findings revealed that agriculture served as the primary source of income in the area, and the flood adversely affected the region's natural capital, including land, irrigation systems, orchards, and livestock. These damages severely disrupted income generation, leading to food deficits and insecurity as people were compelled to utilize contaminated resources, particularly water. Overall, the disaster set back the prosperity of the farming community by several years. To enhance resilience in such situations, a collaborative effort should be initiated involving both the public and private sectors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and national and international funding agencies. Additionally, establishing an early warning system and capacity building programs for flood victims can greatly contribute to disaster preparedness and response. These initiatives should be implemented in flood-prone regions throughout the entire country.