The recent floods in Pakistan in 2010 were the most severe natural disaster to affect the nation. Over 21 million people were affected and more than 5.3 million jobs were lost or impacted. In the provinces of Sindh and Punjab, millions of homes were damaged or destroyed, leaving 7 million people displaced in Sindh alone. Agriculture, which 80-90% of flood-affected people rely on for income, was severely impacted with the destruction of millions of acres of cropland. The research team proposes working with a local partner organization to provide training and develop entrepreneurship skills for women in the cottage industry in Punjab and Sindh, allowing them to utilize existing skills like fabric production and basket weaving to generate sustainable income

1. June 2010 Floods in Pakistan: Research Summary
Research Team: Vineet Joag, Sana Tayeb, Ahsan Syed
Sponsoring Organization: Community and Economic
Development for Immigrant Women (CEDIM)
October 12, 2010

2. The recent floods in Pakistan, which began in July 2010, were the most severe natural disaster
that affected the nation. To date, approximately 21 million people have been affected, and more
than 5.3 million jobs may have been lost and/or affected by the floods. i, ii
In the province of Sindh, the Pakistan Disaster Management Authority and United
Nations Development Programme report that over 1 million homes have been damaged or
destroyed, 7277 villages have been destroyed, leaving approximately 7 million people
displaced.iii
Approximately 80 percent of people in the province depend on agriculture as their
main source of income and livelihood. Destruction of cropland has put many people out of work,
leaving them in dire need of income assistance.
A similar scenario is evident in the province of Punjab, where over 8 million people, and
500,000 homes have been affected by the flood; most of the homes being destroyed.iv
Approximately 3.5 million acres of cropland has been destroyed. This is cause for concern
because approximately 90 percent of the flood-affected people in Punjab rely on agriculture and
livestock to make a living.v
The majority of people in Punjab and Sindh that rely on agriculture also have expertise in
the cottage industry, which is predominantly home-based, and includes activities such as fabric
production, basket weaving, and pottery. Women in particular, constitute a majority of the
workforce of the cottage industry in Punjab and Sindh. Economic recovery of flood-affected
regions is expected to take at least 3 years.vi
During this period, while many actors provide
emergency relief and rebuild infrastructure, economic recovery can be facilitated by enabling
people to set up sustainable, home-based businesses, and employing skills that people already
possess. Therefore, we want to work on the behalf of Community and Economic Development
for Immigrant Women (CEDIM), to use its expertise in developing entrepreneurship skills, and
providing training and educational workshops for women in the cottage industry. We will work
with a partner organization in Pakistan, which has expertise in private-sector development,
community engagement, and is currently active in flood-affected regions.
Our target area will be either the Punjab or Sindh provinces because these provinces have
relatively greater political and social stability, have been severely affected by the floods, and
have women that work in the cottage industry. Our project will allow utilization of skills that the
flood-affected women already possess in order to provide households with a sustainable source
of income. The income generated will help rebuild homes, provide basic necessities, increase
household and social stability, and provide peace of mind to the victims of the flood.
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3. References
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4. i
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs “Pakistan Floods Emergency
Response Plan” http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWFiles2010.nsf/FilesByRWDocUnidFilename/VDUX-
89DTJ3-full_report.pdf/$File/full_report.pdf (September 2010)
ii
International Labour Organization Pakistan “Press release: 5.3 million jobs may have been affected by
the floods in Pakistan” http://www.ilo.org/islamabad/info/public/pr/lang--
en/WCMS_144470/index.htm (September 2010)
iii
Ibid.
iv
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs “Pakistan Floods Emergency
Response Plan” http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWFiles2010.nsf/FilesByRWDocUnidFilename/VDUX-
89DTJ3-full_report.pdf/$File/full_report.pdf (September 2010)
v
United Nations Development Programme Pakistan “Early Recovery Need Assessment Report”
http://undp.org.pk/images/publications/ERNA.pdf (August 2010)
vi
Tim, Sullivan (2010, August 24) “UN says 800,000 flood victims in Pakistan only reachable by air,
says 40 more choppers needed”
Retrieved October 12, 2010, from http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/08/24/pakistani-president-
says-recovering-devastating-floods-years/