ASSIGNMENT # 01

Subject:

Hydrology and Water Resources (CE-305)

Submitted To:
Engr. Usman Muhammad

Submitted By:
Muhammad Asad Hayat
14-CE-148

Department of Civil Engineering

University of Engineering & Technology
Taxila
Floods in Pakistan

Floods in Pakistan have always affected the lives of people, economy of

the country, loss of crops, causing low yield in agriculture sector, and major
damage to domestic cattle system in rural areas of Punjab and Sindh. Floods in
Pakistan, since its independence, have caused economy a loss of 38.165 billion
USD.
According to a report by Federal Flood Commission (FFC), a department being
run under the ministry of water and power, Pakistan has witnessed more than 20
major floods; in 1950, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978,
1981, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016.
Over 13,000 people lost their lives during these floods.

Summary of flood reports (2010 16)

2010 Floods
These floods, began in July 2010, resulted from heavy monsoon rains, due
to overflow in the rivers, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab and,
Balochistan. According to Federal Flood Commission (FFC), these were
the worst floods in past 80 years in the region.
More than 2000 people lost their lives, with more than 3000 injured, due
to flood. Number of affected villages was more than 18000 and flooded
area was about 160,000 km2.
These floods, throughout the country, affected 78 districts, 20.185 million
people and more than 1.6 million houses.
Crops on more than 2 million hectare were also damaged. Wheat crop
damages were estimated to be over 500 million USD.

2011 Floods

These floods affected Sindh province, causing more than 500 deaths and
direct loss of more than 3730 million USD with more than 39000 houses
and 5.3 million people affected. Flooded area was 27,581 km2.

2012 Floods
2012 floods in Pakistan resulted from heavy rainfall in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, Upper Sindh, Southern Punjab and Balochistan regions of
Pakistan due to monsoon season in September.
Floods caused deaths of more than 500 people, direct losses of more than
2600 million USD, affected more than 14000 houses and flooded area was
4,746 km2.

2013 Floods
Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, in August 2013, experienced unusually
heavy rainfall that led to flash flooding. In Pakistan, more than 300 people
were killed due to flooding. Floods affected more than 1 million people.
These floods also affected more than 8000 villages and flooded area was
4483 km2. Direct losses due to floods were reported more than 2000
million USD.

2014 Floods
In early September 2014, heavy rainfall in northern India and Pakistan
resulted in widespread flooding in Indian Jammu and Kashmir, and the
Pakistan provinces of Azad Kashmir, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa and later Sindh province.
This was the fifth consecutive year of high-impact monsoon rains in
Pakistan. In 2013, flooding killed 178 people and affected 1.5 million.
2010 saw some of the worst floods in Pakistans history, killing 1,800 and
affecting 21 million.

2015 Floods

These floods, less severe than past 5 floods in Pakistan, also resulted
from heavy rainfall. 238 people lost their lives due to floods and number
of affected villages was 4634. Floods covered an area of 2877 square
kilometers.

A view of 2016 flood situation in Pakistan

Pakistan is being affected by floods since last 6 years and this situation is
predictable. Every year, floods are caused due to heavy rainfall including premonsoon and monsoon season. Both federal and provincial governments must
take steps to control the floods in Pakistan by building new dams, both small
and multipurpose, and reservoirs so that excessive water, that overflows the
rivers and causes floods, can be stored.
Government is not taking any serious measures to control the floods that cause a
major loss to the economy each year. For consecutive 5-6 years, floods occur.
But government is not taking any step to improve the situation.
This year, as well, floods occurred due to heavy, incessant rainfall. According
to media reports, more than 150 people have died due to floods with more than
500 injured.
These floods have caused a major damage to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa killing 92
people and injuring more than 200. KPK government has announced a relief
package for the affected people across the province.

Implications of no dams in Pakistan

Dams, a major source of water storage and production of hydro power, have
major implications on economy of our country due to their non-construction. In
Pakistan, only 11% of the water is being stored. Implications of no dams in
Pakistan can be following:
According to World Bank (WB), Pakistan is one of the most water
stressed countries in the world. A WB report states that water supply in
Pakistan has fallen from 5,000 cubic meters per capita to 1,000 cubic

meters in 2010. Now, a water-crisis exists at national level. The per capita
water availability was 5650m3 in 1951 and 1400m3 in 2000, which will go
down further 885m3 by 2025. India, defying the Indus Waters Treaty, is
constructing dams on western rivers, on which Pakistan had only rights to
utilize water. Future is, therefore, easily predictable that Pakistan will face
crisis in agriculture sector and national security.
Pakistan is facing energy crisis since a decade, thereby necessiting the
need of non-pollutant energy like hydro power, that is useful for reducing
load-shedding from our country. Electricity needs of Pakistan are also
increasing day-by-day. In order to control these needs in the future,
country needs power sources. Dams can prove to be best choice due to
their versatile benefits.
Major population of Pakistan is dependent on agriculture. Pakistan, as
already described, can face water-crisis in the future. With such shortage
of water, it is anticipated that agricultural production may decrease by 16
million tons by the year 2020, leading towards a grave famine-like
situation, if timely action is not taken.
Whenever floods come in Pakistan, they cause a major loss to the country.
Constructing dams and water-reservoirs can help controlling the floods in
Pakistan which are mainly due to monsoon rains causing overflow in the
rivers.

Are dams beneficial for Pakistan?

Dams, wherever constructed, have both advantages and disadvantages. In
Pakistan, dams can prove to be very beneficial in different sectors. I would say:

Current situation calls for a national consensus for developing small

and large dams in Pakistan to end water shortage.
Hydro power, a non-pollutant energy source
Pakistan is seeing energy crisis since a long time. Hydro power, a nonpollutant environmental friendly source of energy, is the need of the hour

for Pakistan. Constructing new dams in Pakistan can help meet energy
crisis and reduce the load-shedding.

Agriculture and industrial sector

Agriculture and industrial sector are backbone of any countrys economy.
Dams are a major source of water-supply to both of these sector. Apart
from energy production, a major use of the dams is to store water and use
it for irrigation purposes. Shortage of water in Tarbella and Mangla dam
due to silting has reduced their storage capacity. As a result, water
available for irrigation has also reduced, therefore, necessiting the need of
new dams.

Water supply
Dams can meet the water-supply needs of major cities. For example,
already, the drinking water is supplied to different areas of Karachi from
Hab dam. Karachi, major city of Pakistan, is facing drinking water
problems. These problems can be overcome by construction of water
reservoirs.

Flood control
Dams can prove to be very effective in controlling floods that occur every
year causing a major damage to the economy and loss of lives. Every
year, due to floods, crops are flooded away causing a major loss to the
farmers, the agriculture sector. Therefore, construction of dams can help
controlling the floods as major part of overflowing water from rivers gets
stored in the reservoirs.

Kalabagh Dam, a solution to energy crisis

Kalabagh Dam is a very widely and intensely debated topic in Pakistan.
Kalabagh Dam is an answer to our three problems, namely, shortage of water,

shortage of electricity and devastating effects of floods. This issue has been
politicized all over the Pakistan. Politicians from all over the Pakistan have
always opposed the construction of Kalabagh Dam, by raising slogans of
Drowning of Nowshehra and Drying of Sindh.

Benefits
Constructing Kalabagh Dam will produce 3600 MW electricity

with annual generation of 11400 GWh.

It will help meet water needs for domestic and commercial zones.
It will help in water supply for irrigation.
Project will create new jobs.
It would irrigate 800,000 acres of cultivable land that is located
100150 feet above the level of River Indus.

References
1. History of disaster: Floods affecting lives, economy since independence, (Online)
Express Tribune, Azam Khan, August 15, 2013
2. Annual Flood Report 2015, Federal Flood Commission, Ministry of Water and Power
3. Annual Flood Report 2010, Federal Flood Commission, Ministry of Water and Power
4. Preliminary Damage Estimates for Pakistani Flood Events, 2010 (PDF). Ball State
University Center for Business and Economic Research, August 2010.
5. Pakistan floods affect 1.5 million: officials, (Press) Express Tribune, AFP, August
25, 2013
6. English Wikipedia
7. The water crisis and its implications, The News International, M. Sharif, 16 Feb,
2010
8. Importance of Kalabagh Dam, Dawn (Press), May 14, 2013