The Flood Event of July 2010: Socioeconomic Disruptions in Lower Dir District

Abstract

Pakistan experienced a devastating flood in the summer of 2010. Almost all the major rivers of the country as well as the streams and seasonal torrents in the mountainous areas were in flood. This is attributed to heavy rainfall and snowmelt. The flood destroyed agricultural land, standing crops and infrastructure throughout the country. The number of affected districts was 78, with 2,000 human casualties, 0.55 million housing units destroyed and 6 million people displaced. The present study is focused on the lower Dir district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Northern Pakistan. The whole district is drained by Panjkora River. Data for this study were collected from the official sources. To cross check the official data field survey was also conducted in the affected areas. The floodplain of river Panjkora is very fertile and suitable for the cultivation of different crops. Findings of this study reveal that maximum losses were in agriculture sector followed by infrastructure and communication network. Almost all the bridges over the Panjkora River were destroyed by this flood.