Climate Change Adaptation- Disaster Risk Reduction & Response

SPO successfully implemented its ‘Humanitarian Assistance for Flood Affected Communities’ project with the financial support of Care International, UNOCHA, Oxfam Novib. The project started in February 2011 and concluded in January 2012, covering districts Nowshera, Peshawer and Charsada in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, districts Muzzaffargarh, Rajanpur and Mianwali in Punjab, districts Ghokti, Sukkur and Shikarpur in Sindh and districts Sibi, Jafarabad and Naseerabad in Balochistan.

The goal of the project was to facilitate citizen’s active participation in the empowerment of women in areas worst affected by the flood by facilitating their access to resources and institutions to enable control over their own lives and improve attitudes and behavior towards them (women) and their concerns.

SPO designed various advocacy, research, capacity enhancement, and service delivery activities. SPO trained 40 relevant organizations about restoration of land entitlements and building linkages between institutional stakeholders and recipient population. SPO provided assistance to 96 female headed households in reclaiming land titles in each region and also developed need-based packages for support (assets, credit, supply lines, market access) for identified home-based economic activities. As a result of SPO’s efforts in this project, 180 women were given training to re-establish their economic activities, 40 water systems were restored and 24 training programs were conducted in each region on safe water practices in relation to rehabilitated systems (with community women who benefit from the water supply).

SPO successfully implemented ‘Emergency Response for Flood Affected People in Sindh’ emergency relief project with financial support of Oxfam Novib-Pakistan from December 2010 to May 2011. This emergency relief project covered district Tando Muhammad Khan in Sindh.

The overall goal of the initiative was to give emergency response to communities affected by the Flood in 2010 through the provision of assistance and supplying of essentials to regenerate the livelihoods of the flood victims. This 6-month emergency relief response capacitated 5000 households in district Tando Muhammad Khan.

SPO under its ‘Climate Change Adaptation’ programme implemented a Cash for Work initiative in order to provide the affected families cash to help sustain their livelihoods. SPO’s humanitarian team conducted field visits to the flood affected areas for gauging the impact of the disaster and to also assess the needs of the communities.  Around 5000 households and families received health and hygiene kits. SPO formed Village Relief Committees (VRC) in target villages which helped SPO in identifying the affected families requiring relief. SPO worked in close coordination with local authorities, civil society networks, and partner organizations in Sindh to improve the living conditions of affected communities.

SPO successfully implemented ‘Early Recovery Plan for Flood Affected People in Punjab Province’ recovery and relief project with the financial support of Care International in Pakistan. The project started in October 2010 and concluded in March 2011, in district Muzzafargarh in Punjab.

The overall goal of the project was to assist flood affected population of Tehsil Kot Adu in district Muzaffargarh, Punjab. This six-month response ensured that targeted communities have access to adequate and appropriate food to uphold their survival, dignity and fosters early livelihoods recovery. The secondary objective was to create livelihood opportunities which could benefit flood affected communities-at-large.

SPO supported communities by giving Cash for Work opportunities in exchange of their services related to rehabilitation of community infrastructures. To maintain transparency, temporary Village Relief Committees (VRC) were also formed after community mobilization. Village development plan (VDP) was developed with the support of VRC. The VDP was a tool used by community mobilizers of SPO to prioritize needs in reconstruction and rehabilitation of community infrastructure under this project. Village level enterprise committees were also formed in consultation with local stakeholders. In addition to these interventions, cash grants to 900 small traders’ families were provided especially to women headed households (benefiting 6,300 individuals) for restoring their income generating activities as well as regenerating markets. SPO and Care International played vital role in providing support to local authorities in coordination of disaster management activities and carrying out relief activities with the support of its local networks. The project interventions were also successful because of close linkages and coordinated efforts with district government officials, especially District Coordination Officer, EDOs for Health, Education, Community Development and EDO Revenue had been established.

SPO successfully implemented ‘Emergency Humanitarian Measures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’ relief project with the financial support of Australian Development Agency. The project started in October 2010 and concluded in March 2011, covering districts Nowshera and Charsadda in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The overall goal of the project was to assist flood affected populations by providing humanitarian assistance and protection in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The project aimed to help the effected vulnerable population to have access to and make use of rehabilitated drinking water facilities and follow hygiene practices to sustain and safeguard their lives and health.

SPO reached out to flood affected communities. The well-coordinated efforts of SPO resulted in the availability of safe drinking water through around 50 water sources that were cleaned and restored.  Total 2,750 families (20,075 individuals) received and used water storage kits. Community and private sanitation facilities were rebuilt and around 200 latrines were rehabilitated. Approximately 4,000 individuals were given access to use sanitation facilities and total 2,750 hygiene / household kits were distributed and used by 20,075 individuals.  About 4,000 meters of drainage channels were also restored through engaging 675 households that received cash for work.

SPO successfully implemented ‘Food Assistance for Flood Affected Communities in Punjab’ relief project with the financial support of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). The project started in September 2010 and concluded in December 2010, covering districts Layyah & Mianwali, Punjab.

The overall goal of the project was to save lives and improve essential nutritional and health status of women, children and other vulnerable individuals through emergency food supply intervention in districts Layyah and Mianwali of Punjab.

SPO implemented this two-month emergency relief response in collaboration with local authorities and support of its volunteer network. As a result of these efforts, a total of 35,040 individuals (26520 women and children) were given food packages to meet their nutritional needs. SPO provided one-month food packages to 4,800 flood affected families of Punjab.

SPO successfully implemented ‘Emergency Relief Operation for Flood Affectees in Balochistan’ project with the financial support of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). The project started in August 2010 and concluded in November 2010, covering district Naseerabad in Balochistan.

The overall goal of the project was to reduce the possible risk of epidemics outbreak in the affected areas by introducing Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) interventions in Tehsil Tambu of district Naseerabad, Balochistan.

SPO provided Health and Hygiene kits to 2000 families and ensured that Women and children of 2000 families accessed clean drinking water with the provision of jerry cans distributed among them for water storage. As a result, a total of 40 water sources (wells, hand pumps and water supply schemes) were restored that helped affected communities to have easy access to clean drinking water. The WASH activities of the project were implemented keeping in view the cultural practices in the district.  The distribution points were established in places which were accessible to women.

SPO successfully implemented ‘Relief Operations for Flood Affected Population in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’ project with the financial support of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). The project started in August 2010 and concluded in November 2010, covering district Swat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The overall goal of the project was to support flood affected population in resettling and returning towards their normal life. The aim was to provide shelter and non-food items (NFIs) to meet the needs of the displaced and flood affected communities living in District Swat.

SPO reached out to 1,040 flood affected families and distributed bedding kits and NFIs. SPO conducted beneficiaries’ assessment in relief and spontaneous camps. For transparent and effective use of resources and project implementation, monitoring activities were carried out during relief kits distribution. SPO provided cooking utensils, blankets and bedding materials to women headed households in order to help them maintain their health, privacy and dignity.

SPO successfully implemented ‘Rehabilitation of the WASH component for flood affected in Rajanpur’ project with the financial support of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). The project started in November 2008 and concluded in February 2009, covering district Rajanpur in Punjab.

The overall goal of the project was to provide safe drinking water to flood affected communities by installing 185 water hand pumps and contributed to promote hygiene practices through health and hygiene awareness sessions.

In order to ensure smooth and transparent implementation of the project SPO strategized to engage local government officials and members from affected communities in project orientation. Keeping in mind the parameters of gender responsive needs, it was ensured that SPO’s interventions had complete ownership of the concerned community. Alongside this, women were reached out as most vulnerable group as they lacked access to clean drinking water and were primarily responsible for water fetching chore. Water Management Committees (WMC) were formed followed by Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing with local communities for site selection of hand pumps. The intervention resulted successful because local community had partnered with SPO by providing services of digging and Labor/masons identification for installation of water sources. As a result of SPO and other stakeholders’ efforts, 26,000 people were provided drinking water facilities through the installation of 185 hand pumps.