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Pakistan

Pakistan: Rapid Technical Assessment of Damage and Needs for Reconstruction in Housing Sector - October 2010

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Executive Summary

UN-HABITAT assessed the damage caused by the floods in Pakistan, focusing mainly on the housing sector. From 20 August to 04 September, joint teams of Engineers and community social mobilizers assessed the housing situation in 64 villages and 17 urban areas in all of the 33 districts affected by the floods, in all of the 5 provinces and AJK.

The extent and type of damage and the priorities of needs were assessed through two surveys, at house and at the community and settlement level.

On one hand the teams assessed the physical situation of individual structures by detail investigation of two houses per village and by observing and collecting photographic evidence of as many houses as possible.

On the other hand, information was gathered at the settlement level on the basis of structured interviews conducted with the affected community of the village and more in-depth interviews with groups of people with technical skills, e.g. masons.

The study concludes that the wide range of damage suffered was due to a variety of factors:

- The different types of flooding (riverine, flash floods, etc.)

-The variety of materials used in the construction of the houses, e.g. stone house, mud house etc.

-Location and encroachment (Katcha, Pucca and river banks and beds)

This report gives an oversight of the typology of the houses in the flood affected areas, and records typical floor plans and the main features and the varieties of each type of house. Through a close examination and analysis of the damage (to foundations, walls, trusses, etc.) the causes of failure and options for improvement are analysed.

The report also provides information regarding many of the factors that are likely to influence the design of any reconstruction response, such as:

- The size and structure of the households;

- The proportion of house-owners to tenants;

- Issues regarding land titles etc.

-The local availability of material, incl. grasses, timber and bricks, and the skills of the labor force in the area; and

- Typical periods suitable and unsuitable for construction in the different Provinces