As this year’s monsoon rains fade and winter approaches, 80-year-old Resham Bibi is in a desperate race to fortify her crumbling mud home before the next storm comes. In the flood-wrecked town of Badin, she dives into a murky pond every few weeks, gathering mud to mix with straw to reinforce her house’s fragile walls. This labor-intensive effort, she hopes, will keep her family safe a little longer.
“We are scared that our home’s weak roof and walls might fall upon us. Sometimes, water comes inside, and we are scared our homes will be washed away again,” Resham says, standing amid walls patched with layers of mud. Her voice, edged with worry, speaks to the collective anxiety that lingers in Badin, one of the regions devastated by record-breaking floods across Pakistan in 2022.
Two years ago, unprecedented monsoon rains turned one-third of Pakistan into a temporary sea, submerging homes, destroying infrastructure, and leaving around 33 million people in crisis. While floodwaters eventually receded, the aftermath has dragged on, especially for marginalized communities in southeastern Pakistan, where poverty and lack of resources compound the long-term effects of climate-induced disasters. Now, as weather patterns become more volatile due to climate change, millions of Pakistanis remain unprepared for what the future might bring.
In the province of Sindh, one of the areas hit hardest by the floods, residents like Resham face a daily struggle to rebuild with few resources. Much of the population in this region lives in poverty, and government estimates indicate that poverty rates climbed by at least 10% following the 2022 catastrophe. Across Sindh, nearly half of the population now lives below the poverty line, while regional estimates suggest that over two million people still lack adequate housing.
“(We take) whatever relief the government can offer to us,” Resham explains, “but if they don’t provide it, we cannot force them. We are poor people, already in pain.” This sentiment is echoed across the flooded zones, where residents rely on whatever assistance trickles down from the government and international aid organizations. But as winter arrives and the looming threat of another flood season remains, the time for waiting is running out.
Karen Reidy, chief of advocacy and communication for UNICEF in Pakistan, says the scale of devastation has compounded longstanding socioeconomic inequities in vulnerable areas. “Those kinds of issues are very hard to fix in the short term, especially when we don’t have the required funds,” she explains. In Sindh, poverty and fragile infrastructure have left communities particularly vulnerable to both natural disasters and economic shocks.
Despite the slow pace, there is some help coming for those living in flood-prone areas. The Sindh government has partnered with UNICEF and the World Bank to address a critical need in the aftermath of the floods: safe, resilient housing. To support this initiative, authorities have committed to distributing grants of around USD $1,000 to about 2.1 million families, aiming to help them build durable, flood-resistant homes.
These new homes differ significantly from traditional construction in Badin and other flood-prone areas. Rather than mud and wood, they incorporate concrete and bricks made from recycled plastic, providing both environmental benefits and improved resilience. Furthermore, the new structures are built on elevated ground, using sturdy foundations of stone and brick to withstand future monsoon flooding. Solar panels are being installed on many homes to offer reliable energy, as remote areas often lack consistent electricity.
For families like that of Nawab Khan, the grant has offered a crucial lifeline. “The massive floods hit our homes. Our houses collapsed. They were damaged. We were forced to leave. We were on the roads. We were living in tents,” he recalls. Nawab, who received approximately USD $631 in two installments under the government’s home-building program, has taken it upon himself to build his house, using the funds solely to purchase construction materials to ensure maximum use of the aid.
However, while initiatives are underway, progress remains uneven. Rising costs of construction materials and funding delays are major barriers to timely rebuilding. Ali Rashid, a spokesperson for the Sindh government, says that bureaucratic hurdles and delays in receiving funds from the federal government have affected reconstruction efforts on the ground.
“We have some issues going on with the federal government,” Rashid explains. “A lot of funds which were supposed to come to us haven’t been released in a timely manner, so that does have a trickle-down effect.” In the interim, residents face a choice: they can either use up their meager savings or await additional support that may arrive too late.
For Nawab, these delays mean that the new house his family had been hoping for is still incomplete, leaving them vulnerable to the next storm. His story mirrors that of many others in Sindh and across Pakistan, where economic hardships continue to hinder efforts at recovery.
Ramzan Khan, a fellow resident of Badin, highlights the desperation felt by his community. “We have just one request for the government: provide us with funds promptly so that we can build our homes quickly and move on from these wooden houses,” he says. For many, waiting in makeshift or partially rebuilt homes is not a safe or sustainable option.
Pakistan’s vulnerability to extreme weather has been underscored by recent events. The country ranks among the most climate-vulnerable nations globally, according to the Global Climate Risk Index. Rising temperatures contribute to erratic and intense weather patterns, which in turn lead to floods and droughts that erode agricultural stability, threaten livelihoods, and further degrade infrastructure. The sheer scale of the 2022 floods, driven by monsoon rains and glacial melt, served as a harsh reminder of Pakistan’s susceptibility to these global shifts.
For residents in flood-prone areas like Badin, this vulnerability has created an atmosphere of constant climate anxiety. Resham, Nawab, and others say that they fear the unpredictability of weather patterns, knowing that another intense flood could erase years of rebuilding efforts overnight.
Many residents are now calling on the government to address climate resiliency more effectively, arguing that the current pace of aid and rebuilding falls short of what’s needed. They warn that if reconstruction efforts continue at the current rate, communities across Sindh may remain in a perpetual cycle of rebuilding and re-destruction, trapped by the very climate conditions they can no longer control.
Despite the slow pace of progress, the Sindh government’s partnership with UNICEF and the World Bank has managed to complete 300,000 climate-resilient homes, with half a million more under construction. For those fortunate enough to receive these homes, they offer a measure of stability amid Pakistan’s unpredictable weather. Yet countless others, including Resham, continue to live under makeshift roofs, hoping for a more permanent solution to their housing woes.
UNICEF and the World Bank are working to raise awareness around climate resilience, stressing that sustainable housing and infrastructure improvements can mitigate the worst impacts of future natural disasters. They argue that climate adaptation efforts are essential, particularly in areas like Sindh, where monsoon rains are a regular occurrence.
However, as winter approaches and the looming threat of another monsoon season remains, the clock is ticking. Reidy of UNICEF emphasizes the need for accelerated and sustained support, both from international partners and local governments, to help Pakistan better prepare for future climate disasters.
“We need to understand that these aren’t isolated events,” Reidy says. “The effects of climate change are cyclical, and they will keep coming if we don’t build resilience now.”
For the millions like Resham Bibi, the story of Pakistan’s 2022 floods is far from over. It is a tale of resilience, hope, and struggle against forces both natural and economic. As they wait for promised relief, these communities continue to make do with whatever resources are available, repairing homes with mud, straw, and stone, while anxiously watching the skies for signs of the next storm.
In the long term, the government’s investments in flood-resistant housing and climate-resilient infrastructure may offer a path to stability. Yet these efforts must accelerate and expand to prevent future disasters from exacting an even greater toll. If Pakistan is to break free from the relentless cycle of climate-induced calamity, it must prioritize not only the immediate needs of affected communities but also the systemic changes needed to protect them in the years to come.
Until then, the residents of Sindh and beyond will continue to confront the reality of climate change each day, living on the edge of survival, but with unwavering determination to rebuild.
