Community Driven Shelter Interventions in Sindh as response to Pakistan 2010 flood
Background
The July August 2010 monsoon rains caused devastating floods in Pakistan and the damage estimates to housing are approximately 1.8 million affected households officially announced by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
This community driven project responds to the immediate need of shelter to 30,160 persons (3,770 households) in the province most affected by the Pakistan Flood 2010, Sindh, focusing on 3 especially hard hit Union Councils of Jacobabad district: their areas, under normal circumstances not prone to such floods, now devastated by a series of flows never expe¬rienced before. The community’s base has been whipped out – effectively and literally: not only the shelters, but also the topo¬gra¬phical base of the communities have crumbled back to mud. The flood devas¬tated the community infrastructure: the centres are damaged, link roads cut off, irri-gation channels clogged, water is contaminated.
UN-HABITAT, in Pakistan experienced in emergency response and already active here, will guide and support this community driven project with a wide range of national field staff, ex¬perienced on technical and community aspects. This ensures that the support (material, logistic, labour) focuses on the needs of the affected people, including 20% most vulnerable. As UN-HABITAT’s Pakistan’s staff is well linked with the people and the authorities, it will make every effort to adjust and complete the project even in an unstable situation.
Goal
The people that have returned to the communities so hard hit by the Pakistan 2010 Flood shall recover in a joined, community based approach, to enable them to face the actual and future threats. Through this support the people shall, as they are eager to do, remain in their places of origin.
Implementation
The One Room Shelters are being constructed beneficiaries themselves, trained on-the-job, guided by a skilled mason, directly supervised by project technical staff of the Implementing Partner and regularly monitored by UN-HABITAT staff. Women and men are equally participating in the shelter works and related capacity building exercises.
The cost for each option varies according to degree of vulnerability of the households:
1. For vulnerable households, who are in the position to participate in the reconstruction by providing some material and by supporting the re-construction with their unskilled labour.
2. For extremely vulnerable, who are not participating so that all material and labour has to be provided.
The approach of the project is not only to support the households to improve their living condition, but to strengthen the community as a whole in order to face the many challenges that are likely to come. The Disaster Risk Reduction capacity of the communities is being strengthened regarding two aspects:
Building up the community’s capacity to organize and manage the project by:
a) fostering the process of self decision (need based Community Action Plan CAP)
b) mobilizing the community to jointly participate to the shelter project
Building the resilience of the community by:
c) upgrading community members skills through trainings on construction.
d) Awareness raising on do and don’t do regarding construction in flood areas.
e) Awareness raising on mitigation measures for flood prevention.
Expected Outcomes
1. The organised community has been capable and assisted to undertake shelters construction to benefit community members and, in the process, to be better prepared to face future hazards.
2. 3,770 households regain an adequate shelter, safe, flood resistant, technically adapted to their environment, skills and culture.
3. The decision making of the community has been strengthened while defining and executing physical works, therefore community are empowered as result of the process.
Development Partners / Partners / Donors
Development Partners: Youth Action Plan (YAP)
Partners:Communities, Provincial, District and local authorities
Donors:DFID
