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Pakistan
DROUGHT IN THARPAKAR
Tharpakar desert in Pakistan`s Sindh Province, communities live in remote villages with poor infrastructure and livelihood options limited due to the extremities of weather. Tharpakar has a population of close to a million, but just under 20% are literate. The annual rainfall in the area is 300mm but some areas can get as little as 100mm. Two-three year drought periods occur cyclically and during these periods the communities face dire hardship in accessing water. Only one crop is grown every year due to the lack of rain. If the rains fail for a longer period, people and cattle face starvation.
Main livelihood is agriculture, livestock rearing, crafts and wage labour. Over 90% of the households own cattle. The main crops are local cereals, cotton, sugarcane, wheat and chilli.
Fetching water becomes a main concern as drought sets in. Villagers may have to travel a few kilometers and dig some 150 feet or so to get water. The water thus collected is brown and muddy and salty. Water ponds have been constructed for animals to feed and deep wells, which harvest rainwater, cater to human and animal needs.
In the extreme drought the men move out of the desert with the cattle and work as labourers to earn a living. Women and children left behind in the drought face malnutrition and disease.
The aim of relief to the desert dwelling people of Tharpakar is not merely drought assistance, but to regain their self-sufficient livelihood systems by providing the necessary infrastructure and services. The coping potential of the area is enormous and the people are willing to learn new ways of coping with drought.
FLOODS IN PUNJAB
During the monsoon season coupled with increasing snow melt in the Himalayas cause several areas of Pakistan to become flood prone, resulting in heavy loss of property and life. Floods cause displacement to thousands of people and deprive them of livelihoods for a considerable period of time.
The study on Pakistan floods looked at two villages in the Jhang District in Punjab. Agriculture and livestock are the two main sources of income for the two villages; Kamra, which is located in an upstream area has small-land holding farmers while Kot Murad, in downstream area, a majority of households are landless.
At risk communities prepare for the annual monsoon by stocking necessary food items and animal fodder. In case of high floods they shift their families to relatives` homes in higher elevation or to open spaces under trees. Household utensils are placed on roofs or tied with rope to nearby trees. Livestock is taken to a safe area.
When floods recede families return home and men undertake to rehabilitate agricultural lands and resume livestock farming. Women actively contribute in the field and in rebuilding damaged homes. Children`s schooling is often disrupted for long period of time.
Despite recurrent floods people are unwilling to leave their property or their ancestral village and resettle elsewhere.
The study showed that coping and managing with floods was undertaken at an informal, individual level. Despite recurrent disaster, there were no formal or organized mechanisms to deal with preparation or rehabilitation.
Drought in Tharparkar
The study was aimed at establishing links between drought and socio-economic conditions with a special perspective towards gender. It also sought to identify the options that are available to women to improve their livelihood situation.
Drought is no stranger to Tharparkar desert in Punjab province, north-western Pakistan. But the women face the added burdens that are forced upon them by sexual and caste bias. Forced migrations to avoid severe drought, lack of opportunities in the new place, poor earning capacity for low castes, low literacy levels and low access and control of livelihood resources. The study also calls for strategies to transform their vulnerabilities and weaknesses in a holistic effort to improve their situation in general and gaining livelihoods in particular.
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