Local Knowledge and Community Integration in Flash Flood Resilience: An Ethnographic Study of the Agrarian Communities in the Koh-e-Suleiman Range

This study explores the role of local knowledge and community cohesion in constructing socio-cultural resilience among agrarian communities in the remote Koh-e-Suleiman range of Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab, Pakistan. Through ethnographic research, the study examines indigenous land use practices, agricultural wisdom, and the kinship system that enables these communities to devise effective coping strategies for flash floods. The research highlights the influence of socio-economic cooperation, local leadership, and community networks in managing and distributing flood water for irrigation across both upper and lower regions. Data were collected using purposive sampling in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observation with farmers, community elders, political figures, and government officials. The findings indicate that the traditions, particularly during crisis, underpin their collective resilience, and local leadership plays a vital role in organizing responses, including the equitable distribution of resources. Furthermore, indigenous knowledge systems, such as weather prediction techniques and flood water management strategies, are integral to the community’s adaptive capacity. In addition, the community’s early warning systems, based on traditional knowledge of weather patterns, wind directions, and lightning activity, are critical for timely responses to imminent floods. While government intervention is crucial for disaster preparedness. This study underscores the need for integrating local, context-specific knowledge in policy formulation to enhance the effectiveness of disaster management efforts.