The following is a list of floods in Pakistan.
In addition to the loss of life and human suffering, the floods caused extensive damage to crops, particularly in the province of Sindh. It was reported that the flood damage to crops in Sindh alone amounted to approximately Rs297 billion. This further compounded the economic impact of the floods and added to the challenges faced by the affected communities in rebuilding their lives and livelihoods. [16]
The Geography of Pakistan encompasses a wide variety of landscapes varying from plains to deserts, forests, and plateaus ranging from the coastal areas of the Indian Ocean in the south to the mountains of the Karakoram, Hindukush, Himalayas ranges in the north. Pakistan geologically overlaps both with the Indian and the Eurasian tectonic plates where its Sindh and Punjab provinces lie on the north-western corner of the Indian plate while Balochistan and most of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lie within the Eurasian plate which mainly comprises the Iranian Plateau.
The districts of Pakistan are the third-level administrative divisions of Pakistan, below provinces and divisions, but forming the first-tier of local government. In total, there are 166 districts in Pakistan, including the Capital Territory, and the districts of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. These districts are further divided into tehsils and union councils.
Pakistan's climate varies from a continental type of climate in the north, a mountainous dry climate in the west (Baluchistan), a wet climate in the East (Punjab) an arid climate in the Thar Desert, to a tropical climate in the southeast (Sindh), characterized by extreme variations in temperature, both seasonally and daily, because it is located on a great landmass barely north of the Tropic of Cancer.
The floods in Pakistan began in late July 2010, resulting from heavy monsoon rains in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab and, Balochistan regions of Pakistan, which affected the Indus River basin. Approximately one-fifth of Pakistan's total land area was affected by floods, with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province facing the brunt of the damage and casualties. Nationwide, there were 1,985 deaths. According to Pakistani government data, the floods directly affected about 20 million people, mostly by destruction of property, livelihood and infrastructure.
The 2011 Sindh floods was the highest-ever recorded rainfall between 11 August 2011, and 14 September 2011 in Sindh Province, Pakistan.
The 2012 Pakistan floods began in early September 2012, resulting from heavy monsoon rains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Upper Sindh, Southern Punjab and Balochistan regions of Pakistan.
In August 2013, Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan experienced heavy rain that led to flash flooding. More than 180 died as a result of the floods.
The northern part of Azad Jammu and Kashmir encompasses the lower part of the Himalayas, including Jamgarh Peak. However, Sarwali peak in the Neelum Valley is the highest peak in the state. Fertile, green, mountainous valleys are characteristic of Azad Kashmir's geography, making it one of the most beautiful regions on the subcontinent.
The Counter Terrorism Department (Urdu: سررشتہِ تحقیقاتِ جرائم ، پاکستان; CTD) formerly known as the Crime Investigation Department (CID), are crime scene investigation, interrogation, anti-terrorism, and intelligence bureaus of the provincial police services of Pakistan.
From February to April 2019, widespread flash flooding affected large parts of Pakistan, most severely in Balochistan, KPK, Punjab, and other provinces. Pakistan has been hit by three major waves of rain and flooding over the course of more than one month. The first wave of rain began on 20 February, leading to flooding in to Khyber and Balochistan, therefore many villages and several cities have been evacuated, and more than 1,500 families has been rescued alone in Balochistan and many in other states. The 20 February rain and thunderstorms caused flash floods in the Lasbela area. The main areas affected were Turbat, Tump, Nasirabad and Dasht where 300 people were displaced due to the flood. These people were then moved to camps established by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). Casualties have came mostly due to roof collapsing amid heavy rains and flash flooding. Khyber Pakhtunwkha has witnessed the most deaths till now, 40, alongside Balochsitan has faced 26 casualties with more than 9 in Punjab and other places. Due to rain, flood and storm casualties are increasing.
In mid-March 2019, monsoonal downpours caused widespread flooding and landslides across South Asia.
The 2020 Karachi floods were the worst flooding Karachi had seen in almost a century, and killed at least 41 people across Pakistan. The floods were caused by record monsoon rains, which were inadequately drained by poorly maintained drainage systems in the city. The resulting floods caused deaths and destruction of infrastructure and properties in the city.
In 2016 Pakistan experienced higher rainfall than normal (10-20%), especially in the pre-monsoon season. Heavy monsoon rains are common in the region. This led to multiple periods of flooding, landslides, and damage particularly in Northern Pakistan. The Swat River overflowed and multiple landslides occurred around Pakistan including in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu, and Kashmir.
From January to October 2022, excessive rainfall and widespread monsoon flooding occurred in the South Asian countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It has become the region's deadliest floods since 2020, with over 3,700 people dead.
The events listed below are both anticipated and scheduled for the year 2023 in Pakistan.
The 2023 Pakistan floods occurred from March to July of 2023, caused by monsoon rains which returned to Pakistan after nine months after the 2022 Pakistan floods. Floods worsened at the end of June due to upcoming monsoon rains. At least 159 people were killed, including many children.
Flooding affected parts of South Asia since March of 2023, killing many and destroying buildings.
Since 29 February 2024, flooding affected various regions across the country, including Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit-Baltistan. At least 40 people were killed and 62 injured in the floods. Floods caused by heavy rains caused widespread destruction, disrupting normal life and damaging infrastructure. The government declared a state of emergency in several areas, and relief operations were launched by various agencies, including the Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Army, and the Frontier Corps.
Since 6 March 2024, unseasonably heavy rains and resultant flash flooding in Afghanistan and Pakistan killed over 700 people, and injured many more. This extensively damaged infrastructure and agriculture.