Pakistan’s devastating floods are a call for climate action

What impact have the floods had on women, especially domestic and home-based workers?

Women bear the greater burden because of their traditional roles as caretakers and providers of food, water, and family welfare within the households on top of their work responsibilities. Currently, we see that a significant number of pregnant women and girls lack access to the healthcare facilities and support they need to deliver their children safely. In Sindh, most births happen at home, and with almost 1.5 million homes damaged or destroyed, many women do not know where they will deliver their babies. A few days ago, a flood survivor woman gave birth to a baby next to the rubble of her house in the small district of Sindh, without any amenities or medical help.

Women working in the agriculture sector have lost their employment and are left without the resources or assistance to find alternative means of livelihood. And millions of domestic workers, home-based women workers, low-income small business owners, and self-employed workers are struggling to repair damage and recover lost earnings. This has led to an increase in household borrowings. People are seeking informal loans from their relatives and friends to face the catastrophe. The home-based women workers in the artisan industry are highly affected as well as they had to leave their homes.

Additionally, there is an increased likelihood of gender-based violence, sexual abuse, and harassment of many women and young girls even in relief camps and shelter homes set up for flood victims as we witnessed many cases during the floods of 2010.

Once Pakistan enters into the rehabilitation and rebuilding phase after dealing with rescue and relief work, what should be the way forward in order to avoid such humanitarian disasters in the future?

Pakistan is among the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change in the Global Climate Risk Index 2021 but still, we have not worked effectively on climate resilience to face the multiple challenges in adapting to climate change. The humanitarian situation is likely to deteriorate further as heavy rains continue over areas already inundated by more than two months of storms.

The federal and provincial governments should work with national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and make sure that local communities are involved in decision-making regarding the mitigation of disasters in the future. There is a dire need for capacity building of local administration and the District Disaster Management Authority at the district level. Institutions of local government should be strengthened and shall be made part of contingency planning. Currently, there is no effective coordination mechanism among the government departments, civil society organizations, and media. This needs to be remedied before moving into the second phase of rehabilitation.

In order to carry out an effective rehabilitation phase, participatory committees should be formed in each village and Union Council in which teachers, doctors, political parties’ representatives, religious leaders, NGO representatives, and media professionals should be included to ensure the accountability of the whole phase. The government needs to raise awareness of climate adaptation policies and also arrange tree plantation at all levels especially roadsides, banks of the Indus river, canal sides, and also all government schools at the village level.  

Early warning systems and data-collection mechanisms should be improved, a fumigation campaign against malaria should be launched, and de-watering pumps should be installed in each union council so that waterborne diseases can be avoided. There is no mechanism to create a force of volunteers or train them for such difficult times; the provincial government needs to conduct training of volunteers on first aid at each village level and the infrastructure of Basic Health Units at each union council should be improved and mobile clinics should be deployed at village level to provide prompt medical care to children, women and elderly persons.