LESSONS LEARNED FROM PAST NOTABLE DISASTERS. PART II B

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LESSONS LEARNED FROM PAST NOTABLE DISASTERS.
PART II B PAKISTANS FLOODS
Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster
Reduction, Vienna, Virginia, USA 
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NATURAL DISASTER FACED BY PAKISTAN
EARTHQUAKES
GOAL FLOOD DISASTER RESILIENCE
CYCLONES
FLOODS
DEVELOP POLICIES FOR ACTIONS HAVING HIGH
BENEFIT/COST
LANDSLIDES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
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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

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ONE-FIFTH OF PAKISTAN AFFECTED
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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.
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BACKGROUND OF THE 2010 FLOOD DISASTER
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Summer floods are common as a result of monsoon
rains that swell rivers and streams across
Pakistan, but 2010s 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.
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DERA ISMAIL KHAN INUNDATED
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FLOOD SWOLLEN RIVER MINGORA, SWAT
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MUZAFFARABAD RISING FLOOD WATERS
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PAKISTAN COMMUNITIES
DATA BASES AND INFORMATION
HAZARDS GROUND SHAKING GROUND FAILURE
SURFACE FAULTING TECTONIC DEFORMATION TSUNAMI RUN
UP AFTERSHOCKS
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FLOOD RESILIENCE GOALS

• PREPAREDNESS (BE READY FOR WHAT HAPPENS)
• PROTECTION (BUILD TO WITHSTAND)

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THOUSANDS OF MUD BRICK HOMES COLLAPSED
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NOWSHERA DAMAGED MUD HOUSE
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COLLAPSED HOUSE
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THESE LIVESTOCK WERE SAVED, BUT THOUSANDS
DROWNED
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LOSS OF INFRASTRUCTURE HINDERED EMERGENCY RESPONSE
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TRYING TO DIVERT WATER
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FLOOD RESILIENCE GOALS

• REAL-TIME MONITORING AND WARNING SYSTEMS
  (EVACUATION)
• EMERGENCY RESPONSE (RESPOND TO NEEDS
  OF PEOPLE)
• RECOVERY/RECONST. (RESTORE TO NORMAL
  QUICKLY)

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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.
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EVACUATION WAS DIFFICULT EVERYWHERE
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NOWSHERA EVACUATION
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NOWSHERA EVACUATION TO A SAFE HAVEN
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NOWSHERA SEEKING HIGHER GROUND
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SEEKING HIGHER GROUND
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SEEKING A SAFE HAVEN
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EVACUATE WITH WHAT CAN BE CARRIED
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EVACUATE WITH WHAT CAN BE CARRIED
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EVACUATE WITH WHAT CAN BE CARRIED
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EVACUATE WITH WHAT CAN BE CARRIED
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EVACUATE WITH WHAT CAN BE CARRIED
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THIS EVACUATION FROM CHARSADDA WAS DIFFICULT
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CLINGING TO DEBRIS
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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
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OVER 3.5 MILLION CHILDREN IMPACTED
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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.
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International response to the appeal of the
United Nations for 460 million was unusually
slow due mainly to global economic slow- down.
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MUZAFFARABAD INADEQUATE TEMPORARY SHELTER
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INADEQUATE TEMPORARY SHELTER
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ADEQUATE TEMPORARY SHELTER?
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FOOD LINE IN PUNJAB PROVINCE AUGUST 20
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FOOD LINE IN PUNJAB PROVINCE AUGUST 20
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WAITING FOR FOOD
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PESHAWAR MELONS BECAME PRECIOUS
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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.
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30,000 Pakistani troops rescued 28,000 people
using helicopters and other means, and
distributed water and food.
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NOWSHERA PAKISTANI ARMY DISTRIBUTING WATER
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By August 12th, rain-swollen rivers were
receding, but the disaster was still growing
because many of Pakistans poorest of the poor
families had not only lost their homes, but also
the ability to feed themselves, and were now
threatened with disease..
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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.
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On August 12th, Pakistans 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.
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PROTESTERS NOWSHERA
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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.
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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.