Addressing foundational issues for effective flood risk governance in Pakistan

ABSTRACT Pakistan established a multi-tiered disaster management framework in 2007, yet in 2010 and 2022, it experienced devastating floods. The widespread impact and the similarity of the damage in the two disasters point to systemic issues that contradict disaster risk reduction (DRR) policy. The study utilises an embedded exploratory case study design and deductive thematic analysis to elaborate and analyse two core underlying risk drivers that function as foundational barriers to effective flood risk governance in Pakistan: weak implementation of flood risk management policy at the district level; and the socioeconomic challenge of poverty-induced vulnerability to flood risk. The findings of the paper underscore the need for a systems approach to integrated disaster management to holistically address the interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral character of flood disasters. A primary recommendation is increased legislative and resource support of District Disaster Management Authorities, which function in a local government system that is subject to frequent political transformations. To address the disaster risk-poverty nexus, the combined implementation of DRR and poverty alleviation programmes is recommended. The study has practical utility as it focuses on using existing local structures to improve the disaster risk management (DRM) capacity of both the state and citizens.