Over the past two decades, more than 750 million South Asians have been impacted by one or more climate-related disasters. The causes and impacts of these hydro-meteorological and many geological hazards are not limited to the territorial confines of a state. Changes in climate conditions in a country can potentially lead to natural disasters in neighbouring areas, while disasters in one state can have a ripple effect in the adjacent states. A changing climate means for example that nearly two billion people in South Asia are subjected to longer and heavier monsoon seasons as well as droughts.
Among recent climate change-induced disasters in South Asia, the 2022 flooding in Pakistan was a particularly catastrophic humanitarian disaster. For a country that had already witnessed the devastation caused by the 2010 floods, Pakistan was rather ill-prepared to deal with the destruction and damage caused by the 2022 floods.
KAS RECAP together with the Centre for Strategic and Contemporary Research (CSCR) is bringing forward this publication to critically assess Pakistan’s implementation of mitigation and adaptation strategies as well as the disaster risk management systems of South Asian countries. The respective disaster management plans are analysed by studying the legal frameworks and operational clarity at all governance levels. In addition, collaboration and coordination with other relevant stakeholders are analysed to identify the countries’ overall proactive or reactive approach to disaster risk management. The strategies are also evaluated with reference to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Finally, the scope of regional institutional cooperation for disaster management in South Asia is explored.
With this insightful study, KAS RECAP and CSCR hope to contribute to enhanced collaboration between South Asian states in the field of disaster risk management and to provide a sound analytical foundation to develop and implement effective strategies for the prevention and mitigation of the impacts of natural disasters.
