Displacement of Vulnerable Households under Climate-related Shocks in 2022: The Case of the Matiari District in Pakistan.

Hashmat, Fariya; Bradley, Tony; Nawaz, Ahmad; Ghalib, Asad

Against the backdrop of the recent 2022 floods in Pakistan, this article investigates the resilient capacity of 121 vulnerable flood-affected households in the Matiari District. It examines the role of their personal and societal capacities in preventing displacement, and it introduces a new conceptual model related to social capital theory. Based on this model, it empirically examines the situation of these households through a survey based on the Disaster Adaptation and Resilience Scale. The findings suggest that households with relatively high levels of stored capacities are less likely to be relocated and thus more likely to escape displacement. However, a few households with higher capital (gatekeeper households) did choose relocation, indicating a strategic response to mitigate their vulnerability. These findings outline policy options for mobilizing community resources to strengthen household resilience through the intervention of gatekeeper households so as to reduce vulnerabilities.

PAKISTAN; CLIMATE change; FLOODS

International Journal of Social Quality, 2023, Vol 13, Issue 2, p44

1757-0344

Academic Journal

10.3167/IJSQ.2023.130204