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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has emerged as one of the worst-affected countries in Asia&rsquo;s decades-long agricultural losses, a new UN report says, with monsoon floods impacting over 9 million people and wiping out 849,000 hectares of crops as the country continues to grapple with the fallout of the 2022 catastrophe.&nbsp;The Food and Agriculture Organization&rsquo;s (FAO) Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security 2025 report estimates that disasters have caused $3.26 trillion in agricultural losses worldwide between 1991 and 2023, around $99 billion annually, roughly four per cent of global agricultural GDP.&nbsp;Asia accounted for the largest share at 47%, reflecting both its extensive agricultural base and heightened exposure to floods, storms and droughts.&nbsp;In Pakistan, FAO notes that repeated monsoon disasters have fundamentally altered the country&rsquo;s agricultural landscape. Severe soil erosion, salinization, prolonged waterlogging and damage to irrigation networks have created long-term recovery challenges, with smallholder farmers facing the deepest setbacks. Rural communities still rebuilding after the 2022 floods have been particularly vulnerable to the latest rounds of flooding, which have further disrupted cropping cycles and local markets.&nbsp;The UN assessment shows that disaster impacts extend far beyond immediate crop losses. Between 1991 and 2023, global disasters destroyed 4.6 billion tons of cereals, 2.8 billion tons of fruits and vegetables, and 900 million tons of meat and dairy products.&nbsp;This equates to a global daily per capita reduction of about 320 kilocalories, a nutrition gap the FAO warns could fuel deeper food insecurity, especially in countries facing compounding shocks. The report also highlights the rapid digital transformation reshaping disaster risk management in the agricultural sector. Tools such as artificial intelligence, drones, remote sensing, sensors and mobile connectivity are enabling real-time monitoring, more accurate early warnings and better-targeted interventions. &ldquo;Digital technologies are already revolutionising how we monitor risks, deliver early warnings and support farmers&rsquo; decision-making,&rdquo; FAO Director General QU Dongyu said.&nbsp; He added that digital platforms are helping 9.1 million farmers access parametric insurance, while enhanced early warning systems have enabled authorities to evacuate up to 90% of at-risk populations before disasters strike.&nbsp;FAO warns that disasters also inflict long-lasting damage on infrastructure, markets, financial systems and ecosystems, impacts that can persist for years. It urges countries to expand assessment tools to better capture both direct and indirect losses, including the differentiated effects on vulnerable groups and the degradation of natural systems.&nbsp;Beyond agriculture, marine heatwaves have caused an estimated $6.6 billion in global fisheries losses between 1985 and 2022, affecting 15% of fisheries and reducing production by more than 5.6 million tons, signalling growing risks across food systems worldwide.&nbsp;The agency calls for sustained investment in climate-resilient agriculture and digital innovation, warning that increasingly frequent and severe climate-related disasters will continue to test global and national food security unless long-term adaptation measures are prioritised.

Economy

Report says the 2023 monsoon floods impacted over 9 million people and wiped out 849,000 hectares of crops as the country struggles to recover from the 2022 catastrophe.

Pakistan among Asia’s worst-hit by decades of agricultural disasters: UN

Reuters

KARACHI/ ISLAMABAD: Massive floods in Pakistan have struck both the rural heartland and industrial centers for the first time in decades, causing billions of dollars in damage while straining food supplies, exports and a fragile economic recovery.&nbsp;The government had been optimistic about 2026, penciling in 4.2% growth on the back of a rebound in farming and manufacturing after the economy was stabilized under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund bailout.&nbsp;Instead, record monsoon rains since late June, amplified by dam releases from India, have submerged large swathes of Punjab and Sindh, the two most populous and economically vital provinces.&nbsp;While waters have yet to recede in many districts, officials and analysts warn the hit could be deeper than in 2022, when a third of the country lay under water, due to dual shocks to agriculture and manufacturing.&nbsp;Out on the plains, satellite images have traced the scale. A report from the agricultural monitoring initiative GEOGLAM estimates at least 220,000 hectares of rice fields flooded between August 1 and September 16.&nbsp;In Punjab, Pakistan&#39;s rice, cotton and maize engine, 1.8 million acres of farmland have been inundated, according to the provincial disaster management agency.&nbsp;&quot;About 50% of rice, 60% of cotton and maize crops have been damaged,&quot; said Khalid Bath, chairman of the Pakistan Farmers Association.&nbsp;He said losses could exceed 2.5 million acres, worth up to one trillion rupees ($3.53 billion).&nbsp;&quot;This is unlike anything we have seen in recent decades,&quot; said Iqrar Ahmad Khan, former vice chancellor of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad.&nbsp;He estimates that at least a tenth of the country&#39;s crops are destroyed, with vegetable losses topping 90% in some districts.&nbsp;The timing is perilous: Pakistan is about to sow wheat, the crop that provides nearly half of the country&#39;s caloric intake. National reserves remain comfortable after a strong 2024 harvest, according to Crop Monitor, but the sowing window is at risk in fields still slick with silt and mud.&nbsp;&quot;Food insecurity is coming, not just higher prices,&quot; Khan warned.&nbsp;Underlying risksPlanning Minister Ahsan Iqbal acknowledged the floods would &quot;set back&quot; GDP growth and said a clearer damage tally would be ready in about two weeks.&nbsp;Pakistan&#39;s central bank said the deluge would cause a &quot;temporary yet significant supply shock,&quot; and it put growth near the lower end of its 3.25&ndash;4.25% range.&nbsp;It argued the shock would be less severe than the $30 billion disaster in 2022, with stronger forex reserves and lower interest rates offering some resilience.&nbsp;But prices for wheat, sugar, onions and tomatoes have jumped, pushing a sensitive price index to a 26‑month high.&nbsp;IMF resident representative Mahir Binici said an upcoming review of the Extended Fund Facility this week will assess whether the 2026 fiscal year budget and emergency provisions can meet the nation&#39;s needs. Iqbal called on the fund to &quot;help us mitigate the damages&quot;.&nbsp;Some economists say policymakers are underplaying the risks.&nbsp;&quot;The floods will increase the current account deficit by $7 billion. They are worse than the previous floods,&quot; former finance minister Hafeez Pasha said. Counting LossesIn industrial cities such as Sialkot - a hub for textiles, sporting goods and surgical equipment that underpin Pakistan&#39;s exports - several workshops were marooned.&nbsp;The hit to agriculture is also a blow for manufacturers. Industrialists say cotton shortfalls will ripple into the textile sector, the country&#39;s top foreign exchange earner, while rice exporters warn Pakistan risks losing competitiveness to India as prices rise.&nbsp;&quot;We had 400 acres of cotton, but only 90 are left,&quot; farmer Rab Nawaz said, near the historic city of Multan.&nbsp;At least 1,006 people have been killed since June 26, the National Disaster Management Authority said, while over 2.5 million people have been evacuated in Punjab and Sindh.&nbsp;In the provincial capital Lahore, homes and small businesses were gutted.&nbsp;Mohammad Arif, a 50‑year‑old rickshaw driver and father of five, said he moved his vehicle to higher ground as his home was inundated.&nbsp;&quot;We have been on the roads for three days,&quot; he said.

Climate & Environment

Crop Monitor maps 220,000 hectares of rice fields under water. A new report highlights risks to upcoming wheat sowing. The cotton shortfall threatens to impact the textile sector. 

Articles tagged with "Pakistan floods"

Pakistan among Asia’s worst-hit by decades of agricultural disasters: UN

Pakistan floods batter fields, factories and fiscal plans