Applying Spatial Analysis to Assess Crop Damage: A Case Study of the Pakistan 2022 Floods

Yamano, T and Gumma, M K and Panjala, P and Haq, N U and Fahad, M and Sato, N and Arif, B W and Saeed, U (2024) Applying Spatial Analysis to Assess Crop Damage: A Case Study of the Pakistan 2022 Floods. Working Paper. ADB publications, Philippines.

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Global Research Program - Resilient Farm and Food Systems

Additional Information

This working paper was written by Takashi Yamano, principal economist, Economic Research and Development Impact Department (ERDI), Asian Development Bank (ADB); Murali Krishna Gumma, principal scientist and cluster leader, Global Burden of Diseases Study (GBDS), International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT); Pranay Panjala, senior scientific officer, GBDS, ICRISAT; Nauman Ul Haq, remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) specialist (independent consultant); Muhammad Fahad, agriculture and remote sensing specialist (independent consultant); Noriko Sato; senior natural resources specialist; Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office; Sectors Group (SG-AFNR), ADB; Babur Wasim Arif, economist (independent consultant); and Umer Saeed, agriculture climate change specialist (independent consultant). The authors benefited from the contribution of the following ADB staff: Paolo Manunta, senior digital technology specialist (earth observation), Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department (CCSD); Martino Pelli, senior economist, ERDI; Nathan Rive, senior climate change specialist, CCSD; Asad Ali Zafar, senior project officer (water resources), Central and West Asia Department (CWRD); and Nasruminallah Mian, senior programs officer, CWRD. Kristine Joy V. Obedoza, senior operations assistant SG-AFNR, ADB provided support to the publication process; and Jill Gale de Villa, knowledge management specialist (independent consultant), provided substantial edits to this publication. The ground truthing surveys were designed and conducted by the following: Nauman Ul Haq and Muhammad Fahad with the support of the following staff from CAB International: Shakeel Ahmad, agriculture sector specialist; and Hamza Saeed, agriculture and remote sensing specialist. This report was produced and funded by two technical assistance (TA) projects: Using Frontier Technology and Big Data Analytics for Smart Infrastructure Facility Planning and Monitoring (TA 6721); and Strengthening Food Security Post-COVID-19 and Locust Attacks, Pakistan (TA 6663).

Abstract

Pakistan is highly flood-prone and faces a growing risk of water-related disasters due to predicted impacts of climate change. From 1950 to 2021, each of the major floods claimed more than 400 lives in Pakistan, except the 1950 flood that claimed at least 2,000 lives. The latest flood in 2022 resulted in 1,678 deaths, which included 555 children. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that 55,000 square kilometers of land were flooded. This report presents how spatial analysis could be used to assess flood damage to agricultural production by applying the analysis to the 2022 Pakistan floods. It recommends that spatial analysis capacity should be established within government agencies to ensure better preparedness for mitigating damages of future water-related disasters. Using spatial analysis and a spectral mapping technique, the 2022 flood damage was assessed for four periods during June–September 2022 in Pakistan. The assessment conducted during the first half of September 2022 indicated that about 15% of crop areas were modestly or severely damaged. The accuracy of the technique was verified by cross-checking with data gathered at the actual locations on the ground. Subsequently, a monthly damage assessment system has been established and is circulating monthly reports to government agencies to help them prepare for future floods and other crop damage. Spatial mapping can also be used to assess the impact of crop disease, pest infestations, drought, and others, and to inform policy makers and decision makers about situations pertinent to the national food supply, export earnings, and crop insurance. Spatial mapping can provide estimations of crop health for a wider area and do so faster than ground estimations, which require large amounts of resources, such as labor and transport, and are difficult to implement after floods or other natural hazards. Key recommendations to facilitate the use of technology to enhance crop monitoring are as follows: (i) increase the number of geographic information system and remote sensing specialists in relevant government agencies such as crop reporting services and statistics offices; (ii) integrate the use of spatial analysis into statistical reporting systems to improve their accuracy and timeliness. The spatial analysis can provide preliminary results that can be verified by field observations; (iii) familiarize policy makers with and enable them to interpret spatial analysis results to help them make more effective decisions. Circulate periodic spatial analysis reports among policy makers to earn their trust in the analysis; and (iv) plan policy actions for early detection of crop damage, rapid field verifications, mobilization of adequate financial and material resources, and effective communications with affected populations. Images from spatial analysis can be released through media or posted on government websites.

Item Type: Monograph (Working Paper)
Divisions: Global Research Program - Resilient Farm and Food Systems
CRP: UNSPECIFIED
Series Name: ADB Central and West Asia Working Paper Series
Uncontrolled Keywords: climate change, 2022 Pakistan floods, flood damage, Spatial Analysis, Assess Crop Damage
Subjects: Others > Floods
Others > Remote Sensing
Others > Climate Change
Depositing User: Mr Nagaraju T
Date Deposited: 29 Apr 2024 05:16
Last Modified: 29 Apr 2024 05:19
URI: http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/12648
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