After every flood, rural women from various districts in Sindh, who have repeatedly rebuilt their homes, face tremendous burdens. Each time a flood strikes, they spend days on the road and months away from home. When they finally return, the task of rebuilding their homes becomes increasingly difficult.
Lachmi, a woman from the minority community in Mubin Maher village, Mirpurkhas District, shared her experience: “In my life, I have repaired and rehabilitated my house more than three times. In 2011, 2020, and 2022, my house was completely damaged, and we had to repair it with mud each time.” She added, “We are afraid again because more rain is expected this year.”
Recently, the Government of Sindh (GoS) launched a report highlighting Sindh’s transformative initiatives for housing societies, new roads, and flood resilience. The government’s initiative to complete 150,000 houses, benefiting 15 million people, is a critical step toward addressing the housing crisis in Sindh. However, rural women continue to face repeated struggles, especially after the devastating floods of 2011, 2020, and 2022. These natural disasters have destroyed countless homes—figures from 2022 alone show millions displaced, with women bearing the brunt of these tragedies.
The estimated cost of rebuilding a house is around 300,000 PKR. While the GoS has allocated this amount to affected families, questions arise about its sufficiency. How can a family be protected with just 300,000 PKR in this era of rising prices? This raises concerns about sustainability. With such limited funds, it’s challenging to build flood-resistant homes. Many rural women are forced to rebuild using the same inadequate materials, leaving their homes vulnerable to future floods.
Rural women in Sindh are particularly vulnerable during floods due to multiple factors. Inadequate housing cannot withstand heavy floods caused by extreme weather conditions, leading to repeated losses of shelter, safety, and stability for women and their families.
Flood-prone areas in Sindh lack proper drainage systems, flood barriers, and infrastructure that could mitigate the impact of such disasters. This absence of preventive measures leaves rural communities, especially women, at risk year after year.
Despite efforts, the Sindh government has not fully addressed the root causes of rural housing vulnerability. Temporary solutions and the lack of enforcement of building codes contribute to recurring damage, and similar destruction is expected if another flood occurs.
Additionally, more funds are wasted on the operations to distribute money to intended beneficiaries rather than on constructing homes with high-quality materials that could protect against future flood damage.
We need to learn from previous flood history. The GoS should consider implementing real, long-lasting solutions that preserve the dignity of the rural population. The government needs to develop a plan that ensures no one is left on the streets during floods.
The 2022 floods were particularly devastating, affecting over 33 million people in Pakistan, with Sindh being one of the hardest-hit provinces. In Sindh, more than 1.7 million houses were damaged or destroyed, disproportionately impacting rural women. They not only lost their homes but also their livelihoods, further entrenching their poverty.
While the GoS claims that the constructed houses will resist floods, it is challenging to survive when floodwaters reach 4 to 5 feet for several months. First, we need to focus on constructing raised link roads. Providing durable, elevated link roads is crucial before building raised houses according to a standardized plan. Currently, houses are being constructed with individual resources based on what seems feasible on paper, but these solutions are not truly sustainable. The GoS needs to address all weak areas comprehensively. Invest in flood barriers, drainage systems, and other infrastructure that can reduce the impact of floods on rural communities.
The GoS should learn from past investments in flood-prone areas, where, despite significant allocation of funds, time, energy, and resources, the people’s suffering remains unchanged. This time, the government should prioritize the most effective models, including housing schemes with elevated roads, link roads, and a proper flood drainage system. These measures will help mitigate future risks in flood-prone areas.
We should also learn from Nepal, a country prone to both flash floods and rain-induced flooding, particularly in its hilly and mountainous regions. The government there has adopted the construction of elevated and reinforced stone houses to combat these challenges. These houses are built on elevated platforms, using reinforced stone masonry that can resist the impact of flash floods. The roofs are designed to be sloped, allowing rainwater to drain quickly, reducing the risk of water accumulation and damage.
Given the unique demography of many districts in Sindh, the GoS should adopt a standardized housing plan tailored to specific areas. For example, the barrage areas of Umerkot and Mirpurkhas are located on seepage-prone ground, where water rises to 10 feet. How can we ensure a sustainable model while claiming these are flood-resistant shelters? This claim is hardly serious.
The government needs to revisit the financial support provided for rebuilding homes in light of rising material costs. There is a need to consider increasing this financial assistance to allow families to construct homes that are truly resilient against future floods. A more substantial investment, coupled with an improved plan for each village in flood-prone areas, would ensure long-term protection and stability. Some sustainable models will support people in a true sense.
Shewa Ram Suthar
The writer is based in Umerkot. He has more than 14 years of experience in the development sector. He can be reached at shewaram@live.com
