Paper short abstract:

The recent floods in Pakistan exacerbated existing socioeconomic inequalities challenging the capacity of state institutions. This paper proposes a theoretical model providing valuable insights for policymakers to develop more comprehensive and effective strategies for the flood-affected households.

Paper long abstract:

The consequences of climate change are more pronounced in South Asia, where marginalized people experience economic and social injustice in cases of climate-related hazards. In 2022, Pakistan experienced catastrophic floods displacing 8 million people. The country is already facing economic challenges, and floods have further aggravated existing inequalities, hence, reinforcing the socio-economic hardships of the poor and the vulnerable groups. This questions the effectiveness and efficiency of state institutions because in the given situation social trust between the flood-affected population and the state is often compromised. One of the reasons is that policies are primarily formed in silos. In this context, few studies point out the significance of adopting both a “top-down” and a “bottom-up” approach in coming up with a synergized plan to address vulnerabilities of people affected by climate disasters. This is because the combined effort of all the stakeholders involved in and impacted by the disaster, is necessary for reconstructing sustainable livelihoods to ensure social and economic justice to some extent.

Based on the primary data collected from 121 flood-affected households in Matiari district, Sindh, this paper provides valuable insights for policymakers to develop more comprehensive and effective strategies, which considers not only external interventions but also empowers the flood-affected households through capitalizing on their intrinsic capacities and resilience.