recovery and resilience after floods in pakistan - november 2014

Observations and feedback from field monitoring of post-flood recovery work

across Northern Sindh in November 2014 Of DFID & Partners work – initiated in mid-2013

Overview

• Progress since May 2014

• Shelter

• Livelihoods

• WASH

• Cook-stoves

• Whole Community support

Shelter & Housing

Excellent results from lime tests – underwater for months. (block and render tests shown). Lime expert, author, consultant and trainer, Stafford Holmes, with the Strawbuild consultancy team, shown left applying a concrete pressure test – these lime blocks stood up to over 700 psi (meaning these could be used to construct two storey buildings) and withstand months of immersion underwater.

Village based – soil and lime analysis and testing. People owning the process and results. People need to know how and where to buy quality lime. “one lime block is 1Rs, one brick is 7Rs” (go figure…) ACTED village, Kashmore

From testing to application Good to see that all shelter partners now following Strawbuild’s training and advice. Only after extended periods underwater is the mix deemed appropriate to use to build the walls. This is an evidence-based approach, in practice. The tensile strength of the blocks are sometimes tested as well, as demonstrated here.

Good to see thick lime “screed” on roof – tested underwater for months already so likely to withstand heavy rains.

Exposed rafters should be avoided as they will quickly deteriorate in the extreme weather

More attention to detail on roof eaves needed. Ideally no part of the walls are exposed to heavy rains.

Another example of poor detail on

roof eaves

Here the top of the walls are very exposed to heavy downpours which could weaken the tops of walls.. The risk of collapse reduces depending of the quality of the lime stabilisation in the blocks or ring beam used at the top of the walls. Extensive testing of these mixes underwater before application is therefore critical. Again, unprotected wooden / bamboo rafters will deteriorate in sun and weather.

• Pitched or flat roof? • We all know that water runs off a slanted roof quicker and easier than a flat roof yet

most roofs in the area are flat and finished with a simple mud mix that will deteriorate quickly in heavy rains. Many communities have adopted these pitched roofs now.

• Without lime stabilised and water-resistant screed water will penetrate either roof.

HANDS, Jacobabad.

Lime-stabilised walls and Roof make this low-cost dwelling highly flood (and rain) resistant. HANDS, Kashmore)

It is so important to listen to the people we work with, who so often have valuable feedback and ideas about the work, how it can be improved, how this has changed their lives (or not). This family recently moved in to their home they constructed with help by IOM and BRD, local NGO.

Concerns over bamboo quality

In some cases the bamboo shows deterioration already from moisture and in other cases insects.

ACTED teams purchase the bamboo on behalf of communities assuring quality control (but when tens of thousands of

houses are under construction it is proving difficult to source sufficient quantity at this quality)

Offer training on range of different designs

This building is using bricks salvaged from a collapsed house. Where these aren’t available lime-stabilised blocks are used. (Being 5 times cheaper why wouldn’t you?) The design point here is the solid base at the top of the highest columns that is a safe place to rest a steel girder – assuming the column is well constructed!

The value of steel: long life, no degrading over time, roughly equivalent cost to bamboo. Able to meet the demand (local industrial capacity). Cons: environmental impact. Danger if not properly stabilised.

But attention to detail again very important. A few concerns visible here.

E.g. these running lines down the brick work which could separate if the foundations weaken in standing waters

The impact of safer shelter is enormous: this family has been living this very basic shack, in the foreground, for over two years, since the last

major flood in 2012. They have now moved to their completed shelter and explained how much safer and more hopeful they feel.

Discussing the building project with the people who are learning and building themselves.

Bee Rowan of Strawbuild, one of the UK’s most experienced specialists and trainers of lime and earth construction. Now a consultant for all partners on this project to build knowledge and skills in working with lime and local soils.

WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene)

• Are we: contractors or change agents?

• Sewage treatment – we’re still not there

• Hand-washing: neither

• Some good lessons from UNICEF’s Community Approach to Total Sanitation (CATS)

• CATS Should be incorporated into every recovery project – all partners should be trained and all communities given the opportunity to start.

The usual consequences of septic tanks without adequate treatment. This was constructed after 2010 floods by other NGOs. Now the septic tank is overflowing creating a pond of septic water and a serious public health hazard. This is not the exception – it is the rule. This needs to change! Biological systems (trees, networks of different plants, roots, fungi and bacteria) can treat this perfectly well – while producing trees that have real value, for animal fodder, timber, medicines, etc.

Leaking septic tanks everywhere. Smells like open defecation These are often found in villages where shelter, livelihoods or WASH partners are still working. From 2015 onwards can we agree on a standard design that all partners, in whatever sector adopt (and adapt) for the communities they work with?

A wasted opportunity – again! We have to take waste water treatment more seriously. Very little evidence of good practice. This is a grey water from a washroom. It should be directed into a garden bed, or some trees that have value such as fodder crops or timber.

So many examples of this. • In most of the villages we

visited.

Key feedback: It costs very little to show people how to build a catchment area for this waste water and to introduce trees or vegetables.

Key constraint Appropriate designs for water catchment. We need some good examples and some guidelines for all organisations.

Often the waste water areas become the community dump for all garbage and it is highly toxic and a real health and environmental hazard. Dangerous to people, animals and the wider environment.

Before (Oct 2013)

Village: Muhammed Nawaz Nachi UC: Dasti, District Jacobabad Cost to project: $0 (Nothing!) Impact: • < 2,500 Rs. / month savings on

vegetables not bought at market

• Better nutrition • public health hazard reduced

After (May 2014)

But remember this? There are good practices (with grey water)

Kitchen gardens from hand-pumps

Respect and recognition to FRDP, local NGO partner of UNICEF, who persuaded the community - who were initially dubious – but are now super-proud and saving over 2,000 Rs ($20) a month on vegetables not sourced in the market.

Latrine construction

• This model is designed by engineers and requires skilled masons to build

• It has a High cost ($230)

• Bricks and cement are used for the base and septic tank

• There is no hand-washing space

• It is not built by community themselves.

Lesson: Building latrines FOR communities cannot be replicated. They need to build them for themselves – if they want them. So creating “demand” for a decent toilet is the first step. Then they will build themselves. The NGO just needs to help with design advice, maybe build a couple of very low cost models. See UNICEF’s CATS approach for more info.

UNICEF promotes model latrines, which it supports with < 9,000 PKR. ($90) This model cost 5,500, for slab, cement, etc. Now the community have the design model.

Community Approach to Total Sanitation (CATS)

But people say they can’t afford the constructed model So they build basic pit latrines and use scrap material for the walls. This is seen as the “first step” in the ladder of sanitation.

Low cost, low tech. Not great, but it shows initial efforts t by people to build their first toilets.

Offset latrines (in a UNICEF / NRSP CATS village, district Shikarpur)

(the pit is set a metre or so away out of shot, reducing smell to some degree). But with no sewage treatment (the pit fills up quickly and has to be manually emptied). Not very smart, when trees and plants can do this work for you.

To more advanced Adapting local spaces Very low cost (c. 1,800 Rs / $18) Built and paid for by the family after mobilisation and education by the NGO. Now they say they are saving about $10 a month on medicines. Over time they can build a septic tank + treatment wetland. But this is the first step!

Earth bags for walls alternatives. (So much cheaper than bricks. How much do old rice bags cost?)

Hand-washing in latrines – should be included every time

This use of scrap materials to make a hand-washing tap was invented by a local family in Jacobabad, probably costing no more than $2. Evidence shows that hand-washing with soap (or ash) can prevent up to 70% of diarrheal transmission.

Almost hand-washing • Very close to toilet

• Evidence of regular hand-

washing and bathing

• But not every family has a hand-pump in their yard

• Hand-washing must come to the latrines.

UNICEF’s “flood resistant” hand-pump design. Slightly more expensive initially but likely to avoid contamination and collapse during a flood with up to a meter of standing waters. This is so important for communities who face annual flooding. Returning home to find your fresh water supply completely flooded with contaminated water causes myriads of problems

Typical scene in semi-urban towns around Pakistan Ecological systems can provide the solutions Must be: low cost, low tech and environmentally beneficial

School WASH Public health impact of outflow?

UNICEF has opportunity to showcase better design that could be taken up by all Government schools.

Livelihoods

Raised platforms for livestock in time of floods Good practice by FAO

And a fish pond in the space made to build the raised platform

Fish spawn provided by community

Raised bed opportunities exist in many communities. Multiple functions from one endeavour, e.g. platform for animal safety, community sports; pond for fish, rice nursery, aquatic plants, trees. Consider the cost benefit analysis…

Better design of this kitchen garden could enhance productivity. For example there is no shade, nor clearly set out walking / access paths through the beds. The water pump is actually lower than the level of the garden making gravity-fed irrigation from the pump impossible.

In contrast, this garden has ample area for access / walking, plants are placed in the lower areas where water will naturally fall (rather than on the raised bund sections). It appears productive and relevant. It is hoped that people have open pollinated and local varieties of seed that can be stored and shared. (Rather than hybrids that produce unproductive seeds and people need to buy new seeds again each season)

Kitchen Gardens - results

FAO Post harvest surveys show: Average kitchen garden produces 640kg of crops; • 67% was used for home consumption • 22% was given away for free; • Remainder sold in the market generating Rs

2031/HH

Vegetable intake frequency increased by 16% and diversity by 10%.

Poultry Model schemes

• Mortality rate was high at 18% largely due to disease (31%) predators (35%) and accidents(23%) but:

• There was an average production of 13-14 eggs/week

• 90% of households report inclusion of eggs in diet at 3-4 weekly;

• Remainder sold in local market generating an average monthly income of PKR 500-600.

Agriculture

• Rice – appreciation for local varieties

• Rice multiplication (vs. hybrid and GM)

• Pre-monsoon harvesting (using local non-hybrid varieties of rice) to avoid losses during floods.

• Access to affordable credit not available

• Insurance not available to poor farmers. Most now bearing multiple years debts because of two major floods over past 4 years.

Whole village approach

• In recovery – try to address needs beyond the project activities.

• Integrated designs opportunities: links between livelihoods, WASH, shelter

• Community mobilisation: we have found this to be so important. And good mobilisation takes time!

• In future projects let’s see more joined-up thinking: from emergency to recovery. And between sectors (linking water to livelihoods, sewage to forestry, housing to apprenteships, waste to biogas, etc.)

An example of a village destroyed by flooding in 2012. Now receiving livelihoods support. But their houses are completely destroyed! How much more would it cost to support shelter and livelihoods here? And water/ sanitation at the same time? If your project does not include shelter: lobby and advocate the shelter cluster and agencies for support.

Skills in wetlands and forestry ? Apply here…

Biogas pilot – HANDS • Observe the denuded landscape

• How much can biogas change this?

• Critically: cow manure that has been

through a bio-digester like this is much better fertiliser compared to direct application.

• The slurry / fertiliser produced could support a small forest of productive species for the community.

• Cost: $750

• What returns and value for money?

• Several families may benefit from the gas for cooking

Every village appears to have lots of animals, as well as agriculture waste like straw. Both are good for biogas digesters. Slurry from the digester could support rapid growth trees that could feed the animals – providing far more nutrients that the straw they are generally fed.

Denuded landscapes Eastern Ghotki district, on the edge of the desert area. Small investments in Water Retention Landscapes design could increase vegetation on the slopes and reduce flood risk.

Community mobilisation in HANDS villages – highly effective. Each village now presents their own action plans including threats /

risks, key priorities, resources they have, resources they need, who is charged with dealing the job and by when.

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Recovery cashtransfers

Livelihoodrestoration (ag)

Shelter (floodresistant)

WASH Integratedrecovery (Shelter,WASH, Livelihoods

combined)

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Type of Recovery Programme

Recovery options: unit costs per family

• Unit costs in each sector are lower when the projects are integrated • Integrated recovery more likely to build resilience than cash alone – discuss,

research and build evidence base.

Cookstoves

• Introduced for all shelter partners: every community should be given choice of new stove design

• Should be zero cost or very cheap for people

• Should reduce smoke in face and eyes

• Should offer better efficiency (less wood used)

The standard cooking stove in

Pakistan: 3 stones with the pot

on top

Also very unhealthy – this lady is

constantly bothered by smoke.

Evidence shows serious health

implications for women –

especially when pregnant.

c

Good cook-stove designs by Heritage and Pako-Swiss Technologies who designed this very efficient (and wood gasifying) stove. With integrated hand washing system and storage places for cooking implements.

Pilots by other organisations. These are effective at reducing smoke pollution, though the Heritage/Pako-Swiss model offers certain advantages, like hand-

washing and raised storage for cooking utensils and food. The people should be given the opportunity of choice – if they could be shown the different designs.

For example, this stove does have a chimney to reduce smoke inhalation, but lacks hand-washing options and appears to be vulnerable to heavy rains or floods. The lack of any shade structure also condemns the women and girls working there to extreme heat and relentless sunshine.

Open to the elements. On left, the usual cooking experience for women: very smoky, unpleasant, unhealthy. On right, less smoke thanks to chimney. But protection from extreme sunlight would make this much better. Raising her stove off the ground would also improve health and hygiene. And again… a hand-washing device?

Heritage Foundation – trainers Local women from Southern Sindh who now deliver training in other villages – earning 200 Rs ($2) each time. This has become a new income stream for these women. And the primary beneficiaries are women and girls who no longer have to suffer from wood-smoke for hours each day. Low cost for vast impact.

Disaster Preparedness and Sustainable Construction Skills

Karavan Pakoswiss Chulah: Construction Phases

1.3

PHASE 1 Elevated Earthen Platform with Stove and Chimney

PHASE 2 Elevated Washing Platform (Utensil and Hand washing) with water supply & drainage

PHASE 3 Partition Wall with Storage Alcoves and Shelving for Utensils

Karavan Pakoswiss Chulah

Barefoot Village Entrepreneurs (BVE)

MONTHLY PROGRAM Selection of 15 BVE Trainers from Core Chulah Villages (CCV) trained in November 2014. HF to link 2 neighbor villages to CCV BVE. 1. HF’s Artisans to construct chulahs in 30 Satellite Chulah Villages 2. Briefing by BVE and selection of trainees. 3. HF’s supervisory staff to check process. 4. IOM to transporting 40-50 trainees to

DRR Park, Kot Diji. 5. HF training session for Master Trainers. 30 MT/BVEs /month to produce 300 chulahs each in 3 months Delivery of 36,000 to 40,000 in 6-8 months.

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Solar lights still going strong – this unit distributed by IOM over two years before, while this community was displaced. This unit has now been retrofitted with a much larger battery, by local technicians, so its life span has been be extended even further. Most families say they spend around 600 Rs ($6) a month on candles, torches etc. for light usually, so these solar lights have saved around $140 per family already. The initial investment was $8.

Thanks to all our partners and the communities for the trip!