IMPACTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND FLOOD HAZARDS (2010-2022) ON HUMAN SECURITY IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

Environmental degradation is driving acute and recurrent floods in Pakistan, creating major threats to human security. Human driven factors such as global climate change, deforestation, and unplanned urbanization are causing severe environmental decline. This not only triggers hazards such as floods but also creates a cycle of further environmental deterioration. The floods impact human security across all of its dimensions. The multilayer approach to human security expands the concept by introducing freedom from fear, freedom from want, and the right to live in dignity. Available records mainly show direct and immediate flood damage, while less attention goes to factors that intensify flood severity and frequency, and to the broader impacts of floods on human security in the country. This paper aims to examine these overlooked issues. This research uses a qualitative, descriptive analytical methodology with human security as the framework to examine contributors to environmental degradation, how they cause floods, and their impacts on human security in Pakistan. Major flooding events of 2010 and 2022 in Pakistan are analyzed in depth.  The findings show that recent floods have affected personal, economic, health, food, community, political, and environmental security, making it imperative to address the root causes of environmental degradation. Due to rampant degradation flood hazards have become environmental rather than just natural or hydrological/meteorological disasters, jeopardizing human security.