Disaster management cycle and its application for flood risk reduction in urban areas of Pakistan

Abstract

The disaster risk management cycle is a recognized instrument for managing disaster events and their impacts. However, the usefulness of the cycle has become questionable in diverse urban settings. Thus, this research uses a pragmatic approach to identify challenges in the effectiveness of the conventional disaster risk management cycle and its phases in the context of urban flooding in Pakistan. Institutions involved in flood risk management were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Three focus group discussions were also held to understand the viewpoints of selected communities. Thematic analysis was used to categorize views and responses under each phase. The analysis reveals that, despite the advent of disaster risk reduction strategies, local institutions are still relying on reactive approaches and are managing flood risk on an ad-hoc basis. Weak governance and limited corrective measures for existing development patterns are making it difficult to manage flood risks. There is an urgent need to perform multi-hazard vulnerability and risk assessment, and develop specific strategies under the philosophies of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. This study recommends the inclusion of climate change adaptation and resilience in the current management cycle for reducing future urban risks.