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| Household Level Autonomous Flood Adaptations in District Nowshehra, Pakistan |
| Ajaz Ahmed* |
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| The present research is an analysis of household level autonomous flood adaptations and their extent in district Nowshehra, Pakistan. Majority of the population in the study area is involved in agriculture that is exposed to floods. The study aims to investigate the household level farmers’ flood adaptations e.g. the increase in plinth, grain storage, flood management, and shelterbelt in the district. These adaptation options have substantial potential to enhance the household resilience against floods and develop their adaptive capacity, thus reducing flood-related damage. The analysis is based on primary data collected through field survey of the 500 farmer households. The sample comprises flood-affected as well as non-affected villages and is collected using multi-stage random sampling technique. The findings show that there is significant evidence of flood adaptations, however, their potential is not being optimised. The study also indicates gaps in flood management policy and implementation. Most of these gaps require soft interventions that could yield significant benefits with very low cost. For example, there is a lack of access to relevant flood information and its timely communication, e.g. flood warning. Furthermore, the relevant government and non-government agencies intervene with reactionary planning instead of pre-disaster strategic and proactive planning. The present research recommends promoting adoption of local and autonomous adaptations as a strategy by farmers. Additionally, proactive and strategic planning and timely communication of relevant information has significant importance to mitigate the communities’ exposure to floods and subsequent damage.
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Mr Ajaz Ahmed has a background in environment and climate change economics. He is a mid-career professional who has worked as researcher with various reputable organisations.
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