ABSTRACT
Pakistan is geographically vulnerable to extreme climatic events, and Nowshera’s location made
it highly susceptible to the adverse effects of the flood. Climate change has emerged as a major
contributing factor to extreme weather events in South Asia, with Pakistan experiencing a
noticeable increase in erratic rainfall patterns. The 2022 flood was exacerbated by unusually
heavy monsoon rains, which led to an overflow of water bodies across multiple provinces. Apart
from environmental and meteorological factors, socio-economic vulnerabilities intensified the
disaster’s consequences. Many residents of Nowshera, especially those living in informal
settlements along riverbanks, had limited access to resources and infrastructure that could
mitigate flood risks. The destruction of homes, roads, and bridges left communities stranded,
hampering rescue and relief efforts. Agricultural lands were submerged, leading to food
shortages and economic losses for farmers whose livelihoods were dependent on crops and
livestock. The 2022 flood in Nowshera caused unprecedented destruction, affecting thousands of
lives and leading to severe socio-economic and environmental consequences. Despite the
recurrence of flooding in the region, inadequate preparedness and ineffective disaster
management strategies exacerbated the crisis. Main objectives of this work are to analyze the
primary causes of the 2022 flood in Nowshera, including environmental and human-induced
factors and; to assess the socio-economic and environmental impact of the flood on the affected
communities. This study employs a qualitative research approach to analyze the causes and
impact of the 2022 flood in District Nowshera. The research relies on both primary and
secondary data sources to provide a comprehensive understanding of the disaster. Primary data
was collected through a structured questionnaire distributed among the residents of Tehsil Pirpai.
The questionnaire includes both open-ended and close-ended questions to gather insights into the
impact of the flood, coping mechanisms, and community resilience. While secondary data was
gathered from relevant literature, government reports, research articles, and disaster management
records are reviewed to supplement primary data and provide a broader contextual understanding
of the flood’s impact. After completion of this work the researcher concluded that disaster
management systems tend to rely on a reactive approach, i.e., institutional arrangements and
hardware for post-disaster emergency response; preparedness measures such as evacuation plans
and stockpiling of emergency supplies; and the provision of relief. Financing arrangements also
tend to be reactive, with a strong reliance on humanitarian support from the international
community, calamity funds for relief activities, and the diversion of funding for development
activities for post-disaster recovery. International experience has shown that this is an ineffective
manner to deal with disaster risk which detracts from development objectives. It was also
concluded that there exists very less coordination on the institutional and departmental level
before, during and after a disaster has struck. Government must utilize its organs to the best of
their ability and coordinate the working of each institution with the others working in the same
area.