Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 06/2011

Land Rights and the Indus Flood, 2010–2011: Rapid assessment and policy review

Azmat Budhani, Haris Gazdar

June 2011

Oxfam Publishing

Abstract

The floods of 2010-2011 devastated homes, lives, and livelihoods across the country. The loss of a house or land upon which to earn a living affects people not only in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, but for months and possibly years to come. This research paper investigates how the floods have affected the poorest and most vulnerable in relation to land rights – assessing the different levels of land insecurity as well as how the government of Pakistan and the international community have addressed land rights in their responses.