Tweaking Household Assets to Recover from Disasters: Insights from Attabad Landslide in Pakistan
Journal Title: Journal of Development Policy, Research & Practice (JoDPRP) - Year 2020, Vol 4, Issue 01
Abstract
We assessed change in the asset profile of households of Gulmit village while they were attempting their recovery from Attabad landslide disaster, which occurred during 2010 in Pakistan. Primary data came from 183 randomly selected households of the disaster affected village through field work conducted in 2013. The physical, social, financial, natural, and human capitals were evaluated using weighted average indexes and cumulative indexes developed for accounting pre- and post-disaster situations. The findings reveal that all these capitals are interlinked. Any change in physical capital caused redundancy of natural capital negatively affecting livelihood opportunities locally. Loss of income and savings was result of negative impacts on financial capitals. The study further found that social capital is crucial but perishable. Human capital appears to be the most crucial hedge against vulnerabilities as healthy, qualified and skilled humans can choose alternative livelihoods in the face of climate changes, explore options, and divert their occupations while attempting recovery from disasters. Furthermore, relief packages and food aid interventions are necessary but not sufficient condition for effective disaster recovery. The relief operations are important in short term and helpful during the period when communities are passing through the coping stage. The restoration of physical capital (crucial infrastructure) and human capital are the most important aspects to focus upon for building resilient communities and mitigation of the negative impacts of climate change induced disasters.
Authors and Affiliations
Nasima Sultana, Junaid Alam Memon, Fateh Muhammad Mari, Farhad Zulfiqar
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP715605
- DOI -
- Views 211
- Downloads 0
Governance and Civic Capacity for the Provision of Drinking Water in Urban Sindh, Pakistan
The purpose of this study is to analyse governance and civic capacity for service delivery in the drinking water sector in urban Sindh, Pakistan. The research was designed to systematically analyse the patterns of succes...
Economic Reform and Urban Development: Karachi’s Informal Textile Industry
Cities in developing countries, like Pakistan, have a complex array of economic, demographic, governance and geopolitical challenges that require collective action. Urban policy and planning being the domain of political...
Romania’s National Plan against Illegal Logging: An Analysis of the Public Proposal
This study analyses the extent to which the Romanian National Plan Against Illegal Logging (Planul Național de Combatere a Tăierilor Ilegale de Arbori (PNCTIA) fulfils the conditions of a functional public policy proposa...
Growth and Inequality in Pakistan: Agenda for Reforms by Dr Hafiz A. Pasha Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Pakistan, 2019, 550pp.
This book is a promising addition to economic literature which explains the sluggish growth pattern of Pakistan and the various forms of inequalities in society. The book defines the country’s growth and inequality patte...
Understanding a Big Elephant and its Small Chains: SWOT Analysis of Pakistan’s Economy
‘What we Foreign Direct Investors need is a level playing field.’ This was claimed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a multinational corporation (MNC) operating in Pakistan for more than 50 years, on two separate o...