Monsoon Season Ends in Punjab as Catastrophic Floods Affect Nearly 45 Million People, Destroying Over 2.5 Million Acres of Agricultural Land
In the aftermath of the devastating monsoon season, Pakistan's Punjab province is slowly but surely recovering from the catastrophic floods that struck in 2022. The floods, which affected over 44.7 million people in Punjab alone, caused over $30 billion in economic damage and claimed the lives of 1,700 people.
At the height of the crisis, 500 relief camps were established, supported by 425 mobile and fixed medical units. These camps provided essential aid and medical care to those affected by the floods. The Director General of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in Punjab, Pakistan, is Irfan Ali Kathia.
The scale of destruction has reinforced fears of long-term food insecurity in Pakistan's breadbasket province. Approximately 2,482,617 acres of crops have been inundated, with the biggest losses to rice (44 percent), followed by corn (16 percent), sugarcane (13 percent), and cotton (5 percent). The M5 Motorway, linking Multan with other parts of Punjab, has been affected by floodwaters in a 22-kilometer stretch between Jalalpur Pirwala and Jhangra, where 73 culverts came under stress, of which five were damaged. Repairs to the M5 Motorway are underway with support from the National Highway Authority and federal agencies.
Rescue agencies saved 2.4 million people during the peak flood, with 37,000 boat trips conducted by Punjab's Rescue 1122 and the Pakistan Army. The government has already transported more than 2 million animals to safety. However, the floods have claimed the lives of 1,779 animals, with 824 more missing.
A digital survey starting Sept. 24 will assess crop, livestock, structural, and human losses for compensation. Nearly 106,000 people are still living in relief camps across southern Punjab districts. The good news is that major rivers including the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej have returned to normal or below-normal levels. The monsoon season in Pakistan's Punjab province has been officially declared over.
Despite contributing only one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan is among the countries most severely affected by climate change. The floods are a stark reminder of the urgent need for action to combat climate change and reduce its devastating impacts on vulnerable communities.
The road to recovery is long, but with the support of the government, aid agencies, and the international community, Pakistan's Punjab province is determined to rebuild and move forward.
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