Islamabad:With the next flood season approaching, most survivors of last year’s disaster face greater vulnerability, abandoned by a government that failed to restore their livelihoods, homes and community infrastructure, according to a Pattan-Coalition38 report based on a May-June 2026 survey of 140 households across 35 severely affected communities in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The study assessed recovery levels, current vulnerabilities, preparedness for future floods, and public perceptions of government disaster management in remote, riverine areas within 1-3 km of rivers. These communities have faced repeated flooding over the last 15 years.
The survey reveals a pattern of unequal recovery. While a small minority reported substantial compensation and reconstruction, most families still struggle with damaged homes, lost livelihoods, depleted assets and mounting debt. Many respondents alleged that access to compensation was influenced by political connections and local influence.
The report concludes that disaster impact is shaped not only by hazard intensity but also by pre-existing social and economic inequalities. Data show that post-disaster recovery design and distribution mechanisms have further entrenched elite control. Processes disproportionately benefited local elites and influential groups, while poorer households continue to face loss of livelihoods, damaged housing, reduced assets and declining access to basic services. Pre-existing inequalities have persisted and, in many cases, deepened.
Resultantly, inequality, poverty and marginalisation have worsened as elite capture strengthens in the flood-affected belt, particularly in south Punjab, causing dissatisfaction and anger among affected communities.
More than three-quarters of surveyed households consider themselves poorer than before the floods. Only 2.8 per cent reported being economically better off, and just 4.7 per cent said they had fully recovered flood-related losses. Over 70 per cent expressed dissatisfaction with government compensation and recovery efforts. Housing reconstruction remains slow: more than two-thirds have been unable to substantially repair or rebuild homes, and one year on, more families live in fragile kutcha houses than before. Livelihood, livestock and agricultural asset recovery is also limited. Many households estimate it will take five to ten years to regain pre-flood economic status.
Climate change awareness is high, with over 90 per cent identifying it as a major driver of severe, unpredictable flooding. Yet an equally large majority expressed dissatisfaction with government efforts to strengthen community resilience or prepare vulnerable populations for future disasters. The study found virtually no evidence of meaningful community-level preparedness.
Early warning systems, evacuation plans and community-based disaster risk reduction activities were largely absent or ineffective. Respondents also raised concerns about safe drinking water, environmental degradation and declining trust in public institutions. Friends, relatives and local networks were trusted far more than government agencies or international organisations during emergencies.
Pattan-Coalition38 recommends community-level disaster preparedness, transparent digital compensation systems, robust social accountability, stronger local governments, renewable energy solutions and long-term resilience investment for flood-prone populations. It urges federal and provincial governments to prioritise community-based preparedness as enshrined in the National Disaster Management policy, ensure future recovery programmes reach the most vulnerable, and demonstrate political will in the next budget to support millions affected by the 2025 mega-floods.
