Produce a 'front page' report on this event.  You must include: 

• The cause of the floods - physical and human.
• Effects - immediate and longer term
• Response - immediate and longer term

You must also include a location map and supporting images. (Annotate images to show effects/responses)

You must copy and paste any weblinks you use at the end of your work. 

Use the information and links here to complete this task.... 

The 2010 Pakistan floods began in July 2010 following heavy monsoon rains in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan regions of Pakistan and affected the Indus River basin. At one point, approximately one-fifth of Pakistan's total land area was underwater.^[3][4][5] According to Pakistani government data the floods directly affected about 20 million people, mostly by destruction of property, livelihood and infrastructure, with a death toll of close to 2,000.^[2] (SOURCE)

WATCH the news report

How big was the area affected by flooding?  From Swat in the north to Sindh in the south - but what does this mean to you?  Compare it to where you live!

What caused the flooding of the Indus?   

Watch this slide share 

PHYSICAL CAUSES: Pakistan received an extraordinary amount of rain during this monsoon season.  In July, some areas in Northern Pakistan received more than three times their annual rainfall in a matter of 36 hours.

Himalayan rocks are soft and highly susceptible to erosion by heavy rains this feeds huge quantities of sediment into the river and this quickly raises the river bed at times of high discharge so increasing the flood risk further 

Being one of the largest rivers of the world, the Indus should have been able to carry out the excess waters into the Arabian Sea which it joins near Karachi. Why could the river not flush out the excess waters?

HUMAN CAUSES:

A large amount of Water is diverted for farming and industry each year so there is  not enough to carry the volume of sediment the Indus carries even when there isn't a flood risk. The amount of sediment has increased due to deforestation on the slopes of the Himalayas, reducing the capacity of the river to carry floodwater.

Levees and embankments built to protect wealthy farmers' land from occaisonal flooding - levees acted as walls and make it difficult for the floodwater to return back into the channel once it has spilled over.

Wetland areas that would naturally moderate the flow have been lost to farming and settlement so excess water has nowhere to go and flooding is worstened 

'The timber mafia' engages in illegal logging, which is estimated to be worth billions of rupees each year – not only has the flooding been intense in areas where the timber mafia is active but the felled trees, hidden in ravines prior to smuggling them onwards, have caused havoc. Dislodged by torrents of water, they have swept away bridges and people and anything else in their path. 

There has been some suggestion that the high volume of timber transported along the rivers has been a factor in the weakening of the dams and retaining walls that are supposed to protect the land from flooding but have proved unequal to the task. Their failure to function has also brought up comparisons to the poor construction that resulted in collapsed government schools during the 2005 earthquake; then, blame landed on corrupt practices and lack of oversight by the authorities in the allocation of construction contracts. (read more via The Guardian)

Effects and Response? 

It is estimated that 20 million people have been affected and 6 million are in urgent need of food aid, according to the UN. By the end of August 1 539 had died and 1.2 m houses destroyed

Pakistan Government estimates 2.5% (nearly $5 billion) will be wiped off expected growth this year and that recovery will take over 3 years

23% of the national crop has been lost 

Watch this audioslideshow to help you find specific location detail  and look at this interactive map from The Guardian

consider factors such as...

EFFECTS:  homelessness, damage to infrastructure,impact on the economy,  disease, hunger...  CLASSIFY  YOUR EFFECTS!  (make sure you sort the table correctly first)

RESPONSE:  Immediate? What people do for themselves?  The role of Aid agencies (by the end of August £527m had been pledged in aid) The government....  Longer term? A table to help you.

Three months on - OXFAM video  Pakistan is recovering...

One Year later  - still not prepared?