Sociological and Psychological Effects of Flood on the flood effected families

 INTRODUCTION

Human history witnessed risks and disasters from beginning; however, these disasters were mainly natural in the past and little has been done due to human actions. In the course of time society took shift from its rudimentary form to the current state of advancement due to the rapid progress in science and technology, where man attempted to control the environment and to minimize his dependence on it as much as possible. Although in the modernist and post modernist society environment and nature have less impact on the human development due to large scale production through industrialization. Nevertheless nature has retained its influence over the world in one form or the other, which ultimately affect human and his society and hence man remain a baby-toy in the hand of nature.

The natural disasters are due to the occurrence of natural hazards like flood, earthquakes, cyclones, volcano eruption, etc. that cause massive damage both men and materials (Wisner et al (2004). These disasters affect human beings both in group as well as individually. Abrupt changes due to global warming or as a result of other human actions aimed to harm opponents, all these lead to one or other form of disasters. “Changing weather patterns may be causing more rain and a greater risk of floods in some areas.” (Woods and woods, 2007) 

Natural disasters affected human life in totality both in material form as well as in non-material form. In group it disturbed the overall social structure and functions of the society and in individual capacity, traumatized the affected people and caused a number of social, economic and psychological problems. Social fibers of the society become weak from displacement and migration in time of flood, they affected financially by taking whatever they have or saved for the hard time, these also cause great psychological problems to the affected individuals. Economic problems are generally solved quickly but the socio-psychological problems are taking much more time for proper and durable rehabilitation and hence this is a neglected aspect of rehabilitation in the wake of disasters.

    In the second quarter of 2010, Pakistan experienced a worst of disaster in the form of flood in which half of the country came underwater and miserable state of affairs prevail across the country. People in individual capacity as well as in groups both nationally and internationally promptly responded to pull the affects out of situation and rehabilitate them properly. This help was mostly material and people were provided with materials of daily use; however, the non-material and intangible effects of the floods are given less attention, particularly in the materialistic age and areas (Moser, 1994).