Understanding flood dynamics in the Indus River Basin: Lessons from the 2022 Pakistan deluge
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The study focuses on the Indus River Basin and southern Pakistan, which was severely affected by flooding in 2022. The Indus River Basin is one of the largest basins in the world and is home to some of the world's poorest communities. As a result, it is particularly vulnerable to the devastating effects of catastrophic flooding.This study utilized satellite-based climatic and meteorological datasets to examine spatial and temporal variability of hydrological anomalies throughout the Indus River basin and southern provinces of Pakistan before and after the flood event. This study assessed how land surface temperature, snow cover, soil moisture, and precipitation contributed to the deluge of 2022. This study mainly investigated MODIS-AIRS land surface temperature, MODIS snow cover (NDSI), SMAP soil moisture, and GPM IMERG precipitation accumulation. Furthermore, different flood visualization and mapping techniques were applied to delineate the flood extent map using Landsat 8-9, Sentinel-2 MSI, and Sentinel-1 SAR data.The region experienced some of the most anomalous climatic events in 2022, such as prolonged heatwaves as observed with higher-than-average land surface temperatures and subsequent rapid decline in snow cover extent during the spring, increased soil moisture followed by an abnormal amount of extreme monsoon precipitation in the summer. The analysis helps understand spatial and temporal variability within the basin and facilitates the understanding of factors and their intricate connections contributing to flooding.
Institution: University of Virginia
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,600
OpenAlex ID: W4409386490