With the rapid pace of urbanisation in the world, urban disaster risk management has gained a lot of attention during recent times. The absence of such an attitude in many cases has rendered megacities, such as Karachi, to an increased defencelessness.

Densely populated Karachi has unfortunately been at a fairly high position in the list of vulnerable cities. One such risk whose management seems inescapable is that of urban flooding. Urban flooding is, of course, an unavoidable natural disaster, but the risk associated is multiplied by the climatic conditions, such as high-intensity rainfall, high-velocity wind, etc., and inadequate drainage system. The location of urban settlements is quite critical in this context. The places along the coasts and riverbeds are eventually at higher risk, and have been taking the hit so far as the risk of urban flooding is concerned.

The higher risk also owes to irresponsible human activities, like overtopping the drainage channels with solid household waste. The role of poor land-use planning and the absence of infrastructure are also highly significant elements in terms of rescue services. In the face of such critical factors, the life and properties of people are always at risk. Moreover, despite the fact that the poor and less privileged communities are most vulnerable, what has been observed is that even the posh areas of the city are not immune to the risk of urban flooding.

In order to reduce the damages associated with urban flooding, it is important to adopt an integrated approach. Such a methodology includes well-controlled residential as well as industrial constructions so that drainage channels are readily available, increased preparedness, proper cleaning of the drainage system, staff and machines for rescue, etc. The involvement of the community in keeping the city as clean as possible is also of critical value.

It is also vital that instead of the prevailing short-term planning for managing the urban flooding risks, the relevant authorities should focus on finding long-term solutions.

Dr Intikhab Ulfat

Karachi