Work

Deconstructing urban flooding from the perspective of vulnerable communities in Northwestern Pakistan

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The study aimed to deconstruct urban flooding in Peshawar (one of Pakistan's rapidly urbanizing cities) from the perspective of flood vulnerable communities. The research was conducted using a mixed-methods approach, synthesizing qualitative data with quantitative geospatial analyses of Land-Use/Land-Cover change and flood exposure. Qualitative data were collected through the Focus Group Discussion and In-depth Interviews checklist with a total sample size of 89 participants. The quantitative aspect (geospatial) was used to triangulate community-identified patterns (e.g., encroachment, land cover change). Study results reveal that the fast-increasing urban flooding phenomenon within Peshawar's rapidly urbanizing Bhudni Nullah Basin (BNB) is the outcome of a multifaceted and interrelated human-natural systems failures, driven by the merging of hydro-climatic conditions, anthropogenic modification and governance deficits. The basin's intensifying flood risk is fundamentally linked to impaired hydrological response resulting from rapid and unplanned urbanization. Erratic, high-intensity precipitation and an elevated water table critically diminish the basin's natural water retention and conveyance capacity. Geospatial analysis documented an increase in the artificial surface (impervious), surging from 39.60% in 2017 to 46.01% 2020 and eventually reached 59.96% in 2025. The transformation significantly accelerates surface runoff volume and velocity, overwhelming the existing drainage infrastructure. Unregulated riparian zone infringement and the persistent solid waste dumping severely reduce the effective cross-sectional area of the Bhudni Nullah. Concurrently, the Height Above Nearest Drainage model-based flood exposure assessment quantifies a critical vulnerability, with 11.57 km 2 (22.14%) classified as “Very High” and “High” flood exposure, concentrated within the built environment. The study provides socio-physical, environmental, and economic indicators for future urban flood modeling and research studies.

Source: Frontiers in Human Dynamics

DOI: 10.3389/fhumd.2026.1751158