Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Monsoon Contingency Plan 2020 under the Shadow of COVID-19
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1.1 Introduction
The foremost priority of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) is to handle flood related disasters, which are caused by environmental change. These disasters make the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa prone to the vulnerabilities of monsoon (flash and riverine floods), therefore, it is imperative to have an integrated scientific approach to minimize the adverse impacts in time of any calamity. Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is utilizing available resources to channelize those with proper techniques, with the help of all the stakeholders, in order to mitigate disasters related risks and further to enhance preparedness capacities to minimize losses to floods. There is not a friction of doubt involved in the intentions of the Provincial Government that they are serious in investing in the flood management system, but, due to lack of sufficient water storage facilities, lack of effective regulations as well as due to poor early warning systems in the province, a pulsating and effective flood risk management system cannot be developed. Presently, the available early warning and forecasting of floods is based on telemetry, which is installed by WAPDA and Irrigation Department. The existing setup of Irrigation Department can provide response time of 24-48 hours in river Swat, 5-7 hours in Kabul River and 36-48 hours in Indus River at DI Khan, which is quite insufficient time for evacuation of vulnerable communities of the areas which are on the affectee list. As far as flash floods in the mountainous regions of the province are concerned, there is no early warning system to provide them with the basic facilities on timely manner. The province has witnessed very little or no improvement in the water storage capacity due to little investment, which can boost the capacity that can otherwise reduce the province's vulnerability to floods. This limited storage capacity has further been undermined by massive silting, which is a common phenomenon that reduces mitigation capacities of these storage facilities. The two notable reservoirs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which are; Warsak Dam and Tarbela Dam. The former has lost its storage capacity long ago, due to silting and many other related issues, while the present storage capacity of the later has gone down to 6.77 MAF from its original capacity of 9.68 MAF in the past. There are three major head works including Munda, Amandara and Kurram Garhi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which regulate water discharge to different tributaries of major river systems and canals in the province.