ISLAMABAD, 22 Oct. The preliminary assessment of the harm caused by the recent flash floods in Pakistan was provided by a delegation of Chinese disaster management specialists on Friday (the 21st), along with recommendations for how to avoid future occurrences of the same catastrophes.
After touring many flood-affected districts in Pakistan, the 11-person delegation, led by Xu Xianbiao from the Department of Flood Control and Drought Relief, Ministry of Emergency Management of China, submitted the report. Experts from the Chinese Meteorological Administration and the Ministry of Water Resources were also part of the group.
According to the research, 84 districts, or one-third of Pakistan’s entire land, had the heaviest rainfall since 1961, which had an impact on approximately 33 million people, or one-seventh of the nation’s total population. According to the assessment, Pakistan was unable to handle the post-disaster scenario on its own. It said that the country’s southern regions are still underwater and that people living there lack access to safe drinking water and are at risk of contracting infectious illnesses. Shelter-dwelling homeless persons are in desperate need of immediate assistance. According to the research, crops on broad territories are being devastated, and food shortages and hunger are on the horizon.
Xu Xianbiao, the Chinese team’s head, also provided information on China’s experience with flood management. He expressed optimism that the Chinese and Pakistani authorities would work together to address the problem and stated that the delegation will shortly present its complete findings.
The study recommended stepping up relief efforts to guarantee that the impacted individuals have access to food, clean water, clothes, medical supplies, and shelter. The research recommended prioritizing the repair of critical installations, including electricity and transportation infrastructure, and accelerating drainage in regions with standing water, as well as resuming normal production and livelihood in flood-affected areas.
The research recommended steering clear of places susceptible to mountain torrents, geological disasters, and floods in small and medium rivers, as well as actively seeking international cooperation for the rebuilding of housing infrastructure as quickly as feasible. The study also demanded that facilities damaged by weather, water, and other forms of water be repaired.
The analysis recommended creating reservoirs upstream, diverting flood water from the mainstream, and upgrading the configuration of the flood protection system downstream to improve flood protection in the mid-term. The paper recommended including important flood control projects including flood control reservoirs, embankment reinforcement and capacity boosting, lake management, and drainage project extension in the national strategic plan.
The report made additional recommendations, including the creation of a national flood forecasting and early warning system based on big data technologies, enhancing the use and early warning capabilities of satellite, radar, and other monitoring systems, creating a community-oriented national mountain torrents disaster monitoring and early warning system, developing a community-based evacuation plan, and developing household know-how to raise people’s awareness of disaster prevention and emergencies.
The research recommended developing flow control and guiding projects in the shaky river to reach the lower portions of the Indus River, as well as strengthening dike capacity in critical regions. It also suggests improving and bolstering the established command and coordination system for flood control in the Indus River Basin, as well as continuing to advocate for the holistic management of the whole process and the uniform regulation and control of the entire basin.
