Disasters In Pakistan Research Articles

E-Governance for Crisis Communication: A Study of Environmental Disaster in Pakistan

This study explores the state of social media as an e-governance platform which is currently in preliminary stage in crisis communication during three major climate disasters in Pakistan. The researchers aim to scrutinize the proactive or reactive approach of social media handles belonging to Disaster Management Authorities (DMA’s) of Pakistan during the natural calamities of 2022: During Murree Snowstorm, Karachi Monsoon Rainfall, and Floods. This study targets various authorities, namely the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Provincial Disaster Management Authorities of Punjab, Sindh, KPK, and Baluchistan. Using quantitative content analysis techniques, the Social Mediated Crises Communication Model provided theoretical implications to determine which authority gathered more feedback likes, comments, and shares/retweets. The data is purposively sampled from the Twitter and Facebook handles of the National Disaster Management Authority and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities beginning from 1 January 2022 till 31 December 2022. The descriptive analysis on SPSS indicated that, most of the times, disaster management authorities adopted a reactive approach, with Twitter being a more active platform than Facebook. Additionally, contrary to other DMA’s, the Punjab Disaster Management Authority received more feedback on their social media platforms.

Understanding Challenges Women Face in Flood-Affected Areas to Access Sexual and Reproductive Health Services: A Rapid Assessment from a Disaster-Torn Pakistan.

According to the Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan is ranked as the fifth-most vulnerable country to climate change. Most recently, during June-August 2022, heavy torrential rains coupled with riverine, urban, and flash flooding led to an unprecedented disaster in Pakistan. Around thirty-three million people were affected by the floods. More than 2 million houses were damaged, leaving approximately 8 million displaced and approximately 600,000 people in relief camps. Among those, 8.2 million women and 16 million children are the worst affected, with many requiring urgent medical and reproductive healthcare. To plan an efficient healthcare program and a climate-resilient health system, it is crucial to understand the issues that the affected people face during floods. Methodology. This rapid assessment included the population in the most severely affected districts across the four provinces of Pakistan. A mixed methods approach using qualitative and quantitative techniques was utilized. A total of 52 qualitative, in-depth interviews were conducted with community-level healthcare providers, national and provincial government departments, and development partners involved in relief activities. Using a structured questionnaire, the quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with a final sample of 422 women, married and unmarried (15-49 years old), residing in the relief camps in the flood-affected areas. The outcome variable of the survey was the access to sexual and reproductive health services faced by the women in the flood-affected districts. Data collection took place four months postfloods during Nov-Dec 2022, while the data analysis was conducted between Dec 2022 and Jan 2023. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 20, and qualitative data was analyzed using NVivo 12. Ethical consent was sought from all the participants. Ethical approval was also sought from the ethics committee of the Health Services Academy, Government of Pakistan. The findings indicated that, overall, all the provinces were unprepared for a calamity of such a large magnitude. Access to services and health data reporting from the flood-affected areas was challenging mainly due to a shortage of trained health workforce because of the displacement of a large volume of the health workforce. Overall, equipment, medicines, supplies, and food were scarce. Women residing in the camps were markedly affected, and 84% (375) were not satisfied with the flood relief services provided to them. The floods impacted their monthly income as 30% (132) of respondents started depending on charity postfloods. Almost 77% (344) reported limited access to sexual and reproductive health services and had yet to receive sanitary, hygiene, and delivery kits, while 69% (107 out of 154) of girls stopped schooling postfloods. Almost 77% (112) of the married women reported having a child less than one year of age. Yet, only 30% (44 out of 144 currently married women) were using any form of family planning method-damage to the health facilities affected access to overall maternal care services. The findings concluded that there was no planning for sexual and reproductive health services in the flood-affected areas. Several barriers were identified. The government and development partners needed to prepare to cater to women's needs during the floods. The findings highlight the need for collaborative efforts between the government, civil society, and development partners to address the challenges faced in disaster management and strengthen disaster management capacity.

Role of Print Media during Flood Disaster in Pakistan

Journals and newspapers played a crucial role during the floods in Pakistan in 2022. They provided people with updates and information by informing and guiding them about the consequences of the flood. Floods, droughts, and other exciting weather events are anticipated to increase as a result of climate change, which will have a profoundly negative impact on human and environmental systems. This study evaluates the role of print media with regard to social responsibility. The results of the study show that the media could have contributed more to the disaster of the floods in Pakistan by encouraging readiness and reconstruction. The media gives aiding those in need top priority regarding disaster response and policy-related messaging. Its multifaceted contributions include timely information dissemination, public awareness raising, coordination support, policy advocacy, and accountability throughout the disaster management process, from preparation to recovery.

Suicide bombing and impending mental health disaster in Pakistan

Pakistan grapples with a significant mental health burden, with 10-16% of its population experiencing psychiatric disorders. Depression and anxiety affect 34% of the population, with regional variations. The scarcity of mental health facilities and professionals exacerbates the situation, leading many to seek help from traditional healers. Socioeconomic challenges, terrorism, and internal conflicts contribute to the mental health crisis. Recent suicide bombings, such as the one in Peshawar, highlight the emotional aftermath and challenges faced by survivors. The complex interplay of factors, including sociocultural influences, contributes to the emergence of a martyrdom subculture. Understanding terrorism requires examining the broader sociocultural and political context. The prevalence of mental illness and rising terrorism suggests a potential connection, although causality is complex. Coping with terrorism-induced trauma poses challenges for survivors, necessitating comprehensive mental health support. Recommendations include nationwide studies, school mental health programs, and initiatives to counter misinformation and radicalization through media. Establishing telepsychiatry services and collaboration between mental health experts and religious scholars is crucial for enhancing social cohesion and mental wellbeing in Pakistan.

Why was Pakistan extreme precipitation stronger in 2022 than in 2010?

In Pakistan, five continuous extreme precipitation events in the summer (July‒August) of 2022 caused disastrous floods, depriving thousands of people's lives and ruining millions of hometowns. This tremendous disaster in Pakistan also happened in 2010 but with three concentrated extreme precipitation events in the middle of summer. The amount of Pakistan heavy daily precipitation in 2022 surpasses that in 2010 record, making it the strongest precipitation event ever recorded. To comprehensively understand the causes of extreme precipitation in Pakistan, this study investigated the anomalies in atmospheric circulation and moisture contribution of 2010/2022 extreme precipitation and compared their differences. The results show that an atmospheric blocking over northern Europe in both 2022 and 2010 enhanced convection in Pakistan by transporting cold‒dry air from the high-latitude region and benefiting warm‒wet monsoonal air marching to Pakistan. By employing a moisture track model, the main moisture sources for summer precipitation in Pakistan were identified. It is found that moisture contributions except from Eurasia were enhanced, causing extreme precipitation. In particular, enhanced moisture contribution from the southern Indian Ocean and the northern Indian continent in 2022 are more prominent than that in 2010. The increased moisture contribution in 2010 was due to increased evaporation induced by warming sea surface in the Indian Ocean, while much richer moisture transport in 2022 was attributed to the enhanced cross‒equatorial flow induced by the anomalous subtropical high in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, attention should be paid to the role of subtropical high in the Southern Hemisphere in addition to those in Northern Hemisphere in understanding disastrous extreme precipitation events in Pakistan.

THE IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP STYLES ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IN PAKISTAN

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of leadership styles on organizational performance in Pakistan's manufacturing industry. Specifically, this study investigates the effects of transformational, transactional, and situational leadership styles on organizational performance, examines the connection between these styles and organizational performance, and explores the connection between transactional leadership and organizational performance. The research utilized quantitative data, with a focus on analyzing the relationship between transformational, transactional, and situational leadership styles using SPSS. The statistical tests used in SPSS will be effective in addressing the concerns and questions of employees in Pakistan’s manufacturing industry. However, natural disasters in Pakistan have had an attempt of social distancing, the share of employees stating for the daily working. This has resulted in companies operating at half-strength, making it challenging to collect a larger sample size from the target population. The implications of this are varied, as workers in manufacturing companies are typically not highly educated, which may lead to communication barriers that could impact the effectiveness of the responses collected.

Monsoon Floods: A Challenge To Pakistan's Already Fragile Healthcare Infrastructure.

Madam, This monsoon season's floods from mid-July 2022 onwards have proven to be the most catastrophic climate disaster in Pakistan's history, flooding a third of the country, killing more than 1290 people, and forcing a staggering 634,000 people to take refuge in relief camps [1]. Furthermore, of greater concern is the implications of the floods on already fragile healthcare infrastructure in a country with a weak economy and limited fund allocation for Health Services. In this regard, the World Health Organization has reported damage to 1460 health facilities; 432 are inoperable and 1,028 were partially destroyed [1]. Considering the deficit of healthcare centres, and medical professionals and the availability of medications in low-lying, agricultural, and rural setups of the major provinces, the transmission of infectious diseases is inevitable. Subsequently, there is a significant concern surrounding the feasibility of relief camps set up, where overcrowding of displaced individuals, lack of proper sanitation and sewage systems, and inadequate hygienic food further stimulate communicable disease spread. Notably, the stagnant water surface remaining after flood water recedes serves as an ideal reservoir for mosquito vector growth and hence transmission of infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue affecting vulnerable populations, primarily the refugees in congested camps lacking basic sanitation and insecticidal net beds to sleep under. Moreover, overcrowding and destruction of sewage systems causing water contamination could lead to the oral-faecal transfer of gastrointestinal pathogens, causative agents of diarrheal diseases [2]. Cholera is the most prevalent infectious disease outcome of the floods as evidenced by reports of 115 922 cases of acute diarrhoea in KPK in the aftermath of the summer 2010 floods [2]. In addition, one of the major concerns identified among the displaced population is the alarming number of pregnant women in dire need of proper medical and residential facilities to facilitate their infants. In this context, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), released a startling estimate of 650,000 pregnant women affected by floods of which over 73,000 are expected to deliver within a month [3]. UNFPA has set a precedent by providing 8,311 dignity kits, 7,411 newborn baby kits, and 6,412 clean delivery kits. However, this would not be enough considering the magnitude of mass displacement [3]. ---Continue

Climate Change, COVID-19, And Flood Disasters In Pakistan.

In the aftermath of recent floods, Pakistan has been confronting several challenges such as infrastructural damages and economic decline. Despite its efforts to prepare for potential pandemics like COVID-19, limited healthcare resources, insufficient funding for research and development, and inadequate public awareness are some of the obstacles that hinder its full preparedness.1 The recent floods have further aggravated Pakistan's struggle to contain COVID-19 by disrupting healthcare services and vaccine distribution.2 Additionally, climate change is affecting maternal and child health in the country, with extreme weather events, such as floods and droughts, causing a decrease in access to essential resources like food and water, and an increase in disease exposure, which ultimately impacts the overall wellbeing of the population.3 Such as malnutrition and the spread of waterborne diseases have a direct impact on the health of pregnant women and children, increasing the risk of complications during pregnancy and delivery and increasing the risk of illness and premature birth, low birth weight, and other health problems in new-borns or even death in early childhood.4,5 Addressing the impact of climate change, COVID-19, and floods on the affected areas in Pakistan requires a multi-faceted approach that involves multiple sectors, including the government, healthcare, and the private sector. Some of the key solutions include: Improving access to healthcare: Increasing the number of healthcare facilities and ensuring that they are equipped with the necessary resources, including personal protective equipment, to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and other health emergencies. Improving access to clean water and sanitation: Providing clean water and sanitation facilities in affected areas to reduce the risk of waterborne diseases, particularly in the aftermath of floods. Strengthening disaster preparedness and response: Implementing effective disaster preparedness and response plans to ensure that communities are prepared for and can quickly respond to extreme weather events and other disasters. Increasing funding for research and development: Supporting research and development activities to find solutions to the challenges posed by climate change, COVID-19, and other health emergencies. Improving public awareness: Increasing public awareness about the importance of preventative measures, such as vaccination, hand hygiene, and healthy behaviours, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases. Promoting sustainable development: Encouraging sustainable development practices, such as the use of renewable energy sources and conservation of natural resources, to reduce the impact of climate change on the environment and health.

Collation of best practices for preparedness: lessons from disasters in Pakistan and Japan

PurposeThis study aims to compare the humanitarian supply chains and logistics of two countries in earthquake preparedness by modifying and using a previously established preparedness evaluation framework.Design/methodology/approachA European flood emergency management system (FEMS) is a seven-dimensional framework to assess a country’s preparedness for flood emergencies. The FEMS framework was modified to apply to earthquakes. Leveraging a multiple explanatory case study approach with data analysis, the authors reconstructed the events of the earthquakes in Pakistan (2005) and Japan (2011) with an applied grading (1–5). Findings were evaluated within the adopted FEMS framework. From a practitioner’s perspective, the framework is applicable and can accelerate support in the field.FindingsPakistan lacked emergency plans before the 2005 earthquake. In contrast, Japan possessed emergency plans before the disaster, helping minimise casualties. Overall, Japan demonstrated considerably better emergency management effectiveness. However, both countries significantly lacked the distribution of responsibilities among actors.Originality/valuePractical factors in the humanitarian supply chain are well understood. However, synthesising individual factors into a comprehensive framework is difficult, which the study solves by applying and adopting the FEMS framework to earthquakes. The developed framework allows practitioners a structured baseline for prioritising measures in the field. Furthermore, this study exemplifies the usefulness of cross-hazard research within emergency management and preparedness in a real-world scenario.

Analysis of Man-made Disasters and creating Resilience in the Pakistani Society

Pakistan has been in danger of disasters with various hazards, including floods, epidemics, earthquakes, avalanches, droughts, pest attacks and landslides. However, humanly induced hazards like transportation, industries, oil spilling, civil conflicts, and internally displaced people due to multiple factors also threaten the country. In addition, after 9/11, Pakistan remained much exposed to man-made disasters like attacks through Improvised Explosive Devices, suicidal attacks, including personal and vehicle-borne. Pakistan is amongst the countries which have suffered enormously due to natural calamities and man-made disasters as well. This research aimed to discuss disasters, preparedness and creating resilience within society during evaluation. The researchers used content analysis technique and evaluated the national and provincial level documents and policies dealing with the disasters in Pakistan. The most of such documents were found reactive in nature rather than proactive. Whereas, creating resilience in the society seems negligible. Therefore; the focus should rather be on Disaster Risk Reduction and developing resilience instead of mere Disaster Management. Above all, there is always a need felt for strengthened coordination among the institutions so as to reduce the effects of disasters, creating resilience among masses and then, building back the society.

Role of Microfinance in Mitigating Disasters in Pakistan

The study is aimed at exploring the usage of microfinance and related services to mitigate the effect of natural disasters and risk, both at community and industry level in the current Pakistani context. For this purpose, overall work is carried out based on the various strategies adopted by the Micro Finance Institutes MFIs specifically disaster loan funds, disaster preparedness, designing of new products, sustainability of MFIs through post-disaster approaches. It also provides the evidence to recognize the MF roles within disaster risk reduction and mitigation measures. Along with the risk reduction, it delivers the context for poverty alleviation through provision of diversified earning sources and rehabilitation of local community. It is the first study to explore the role of MFIs in disaster risks reduction and mitigation both at community and industry level in the economy of Pakistan.

Potential for a 'second disaster in Pakistan: a wave of fatal diseases' - the outcome of the unprecedented floods and the role of climate change

Pakistan experienced a severe flood disaster recently in July-August 2022 due to incessant monsoon rains. It faced a similar scenario in June again this year (2023). The disaster, unfortunately, happened simultaneously when Pakistan was experiencing economic hardships and had only started showing signs of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Affecting about one-third of the nation’s territory, millions of homes were either damaged or lost forever due to the floods. As the affected population was displaced and local health units submerged, flood relief camps by public and private sector welfare organizations were engaged to meet the humanitarian requirements of the victims. Vector-borne diseases due to the floods alongside the still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic affected relief efforts. The majority of healthcare professionals were ill-prepared to oversee the flood-affected medical relief camps of that dimension due to the lack of set procedures and protocols, and they learned from their experiences as the situations unfolded. While the situation is still grave from the floods of the previous year, the same again occurring this year in June at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is still around the corner is certainly a matter of human health and environmental concern. As natural disasters wreak massive destruction every few years there, strategies and the set hazard mitigation and disaster preparedness protocols need to be ensured.

Disaster decision-making with a mixing regret philosophy DDAS method in Fermatean fuzzy number

<abstract> <p>In this paper, the use of the Fermatean fuzzy number (FFN) in a significant research problem of disaster decision-making by defining operational laws and score function is demonstrated. Generally, decision control authorities need to brand suitable and sensible disaster decisions in the direct conceivable period as unfitting decisions may consequence in enormous financial dead and thoughtful communal costs. To certify that a disaster comeback can be made, professionally, we propose a new disaster decision-making (DDM) technique by the Fermatean fuzzy Schweizer-Sklar environment. First, the Fermatean fuzzy Schweizer-Sklar operators are employed by decision-makers to rapidly analyze their indefinite and vague assessment information on disaster choices. Then, the DDM technique based on the FFN is planned to identify highly devastating disaster choices and the best available choices. Finally, the proposed regret philosophy DDM technique is shown functional to choose the ideal retort explanation for a communal fitness disaster in Pakistan. The dominance and realism of the intended technique are further defensible through a relative study with additional DDM systems.</p> </abstract>

Malaria and dengue outbreaks during a national disaster in Pakistan: A rising concern for public health.

Mosquitoes have been widely responsible for the spread of two major diseases in the underdeveloped world – malaria and dengue. Around 240 million instances of malaria were estimated globally as of 2020, of which 627 000 resulted in fatalities, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) [1]. On the other hand, WHO estimates that there are […]

Religiosity, social support and meaning in life as predictors of resilience among victims of natural disaster in Pakistan

article: Religiosity, social support and meaning in life as predictors of resilience among victims of natural disaster in Pakistan - Minerva Psychiatry 2022 September;63(3):263-71 - Minerva Medica - Journals

Impact of Ecological Disasters in Pakistan from the Perspective of Ecofeminism on Women’s Physical and Mental Health

Impact of Ecological Disasters in Pakistan from the Perspective of Ecofeminism on Women’s Physical and Mental Health

Rainwater Harvesting Potential with the Help of Google Earth Pro and Arc GIS Software

Water is a basic source for sustaining our life and environment. Rainwater harvesting has been adopted for a long time and has given a positive impact on our life, agriculture as well as economy. Pressure on water resources will be intensified by climate change. Scarcity of water in Pakistan is a major problem now days for the people. Water from the ground is mostly used in all rural and urban areas of Pakistan; this is a possible reason behind declining of groundwater day by day. RWH technique has been implemented slowly by Pakistani population. Rainwater can be easily collected by using existing structures such as large-sized rooftops, playgrounds, ponds and parks. The Rainwater harvesting practice is quite clean and quality of rainwater compare to groundwater is strongly preferable for many domestic purposes. In this present study, the RWH capability of Engro Limited Fertilizer is calculated for rooftops of warehouses with the help of using ‘‘Google Earth Pro’’ and ‘‘ArcGIS 10.8’’. With an average quantity of annual rainfall in Nawabshah city i.e. 194.855 mm (7.671 inches) within the period (2010 to 2021). Nawabshah is the most suitable city for the practice of rainwater harvesting. The estimated quantity of runoff from rooftops of warehouses of Engro Limited Fertilizer comes out to be 2055466 liters. It is inferred that RWH is the best practical strategy to deflect the present and future water disasters in Pakistan.

Inter-agency collaboration and disaster management: A case study of the 2005 earthquake disaster in Pakistan.

In post disastrous situations, coordinated and integrated interventions aimed at relief and rehabilitation not only help facilitate reaching out to the affected communities in a timely fashion but also pave the way to channel scarce and valued resources towards end users in an efficient and effective manner. This article attempts to trace the origins and gradual development of ‘inter-agency collaboration’ and the implications thereof for disaster management strategies in Pakistan through an analysis of relief and rehabilitation interventions undertaken by the Government of Pakistan in collaboration with local and international Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and relief agencies in the ex post of the 2005 earthquake. Data for this study were collected through structured and semi-structured interviews from government officials, representatives of NGOs and relief agencies and ordinary women and men in the earthquake stricken localities of Balakot and Mansehra districts of Pakistan. On the heels of the 2005 earthquake, both local NGOs and faith-based organisations in concert with international NGOs and relief agencies from around the world rushed to assist Pakistan in it’s rescue and relief operations at a time when the country was faced with the twin dilemma of both the non-existence of peculiar institutional arrangements for disaster management and a lack of the necessary technical and financial resources. The aftermath of the 2005 earthquake offered opportunity to the Government of Pakistan and the NGOs and relief agencies alike to transform their individual interventions into a robust and organised ‘inter-agency collaboration’, which was later on realised in the form of establishment of a national disaster management organisation called the ‘Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA)’. The establishment of ERRA not only paved the way for avoiding duplication and wastage of resources but also ensued in reaching out to the affected communities in a timely fashion. The Pakistani case offers implications in terms of highlighting the salience of establishing ‘inter-agency collaboration’ in other settings.

Impact of Communicable Diseases during Flood Disaster in Pakistan, What’s next?

Impact of Communicable Diseases during Flood Disaster in Pakistan, What’s next?

Natural Disasters in Pakistan and Media Coverages. A Comparative Study of Pakistani English and Urdu Newspaper.

Pakistan is frequently facing Natural disasters in every passing year and media play a vital role in enlighten and update the public about calamities and its several impacts. This study was conducted to analyse Pakistani English and Urdu newspaper comparative coverage about Natural disaster in Pakistan. The data for this study were collected from four newspapers (The Nation, The News, Nawa-i-Waqt & Jang) during period of 8 year 2010 to 2017. A content analysis was conducted to identify the coverage frequency of articles related to two issues of Natural disaster (flood & drought) in Pakistan. The research has been accomplished under the theoretical framework of Agenda Setting Theory and Social Responsibility Theory. The study finding revealed that Pakistani Urdu newspaper gave more coverage as compare to English newspapers and it is also found that all English & Urdu press highlighted issue of flood more as compared to issue of drought. The research indicates that Pakistani newspapers play a dynamic role in making alertness about research issues of natural disaster in Pakistan. The study suggests that print media must cooperate with disaster management authorities for the betterment of early warnings system, precautionary measures, and disaster relief activities.
 Key Words: Natural disaster, Media coverages, Content analysis