The Impact of Extreme Floods on Rural Communities: Evidence from Pakistan

Abstract

This chapter studies impacts of flood events on the livelihoods of rural communities in Pakistan. It explores the adverse effects of extreme flooding, as well as how communities learn and adapt their livelihoods in the wake of such events. Three flood-affected districts in the province of Punjab were selected as case study areas. A household survey was conducted and analyzed by using descriptive statistics. The results suggest that various livelihood assets were adversely impacted by flooding. The most significant impact was the loss of assets in farming communities. The impact of floods has led to several changes in the communities—notably, households changed how they make a living and their relationship with the nearest major city. Other changes include changes in construction techniques and a range of behavioural changes. Differences among communities were found, particularly in how they responded to flood events. It was observed that rural communities near large city more rapidly adopt changes that make them better adapted to future flooding as they have access to more avenues for livelihood diversification and more services, as well as better and more innovative markets. Observing and understanding these changes that the surveyed rural households made in response to flooding, is an important contribution to understanding how communities can adapt to extreme events and how this adaptation can be supported.