Introduction Two years after the devastating floods that claimed the lives of 1,700 people and affected some 33 million people in Pakistan, many communities in Sindh—the hardest-hit among the affected provinces—are still facing challenges in the recovery process. In response to the Government of Pakistan’s request to support its overall flood recovery efforts, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in July 2024 approved the $400 million Sindh Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project. It also allocated $500,000 in technical assistance to strengthen governance functions and create an enabling environment for adopting climate-friendly and energy-efficient construction methodologies. The project supports the immediate need for housing and enhances the mid-term resilience of affected communities in Sindh. It will facilitate the construction of essential community infrastructure, such as drinking water, covered drainage, renewable energy solutions, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities, and improve community resilience against disaster and climate risks. The Sindh Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project will provide conditional cash grants for the reconstruction of 250,000 houses. Of these beneficiaries, 12,000 vulnerable households (e.g., households headed by women or with disabled family members) will receive additional grant for inclusive design and structure, such as universal access to housing and WASH facilities, and adaptive cooking areas, among others. In addition, the project will finance the construction of community infrastructure for 100,000 households, help restore the livelihood of 6,000 flood-affected families in Sindh, and help residents develop skills in resilient housing and community infrastructure. Tailoring Community Reconstruction ADB conducted an inception mission to assess ongoing housing reconstruction activities and facilitate the implementation of other project components related to the construction of community infrastructure and livelihood recovery support. Meetings with civil society organizations, community members, and other development partners were organized to further assess the community’s needs and gain perspective on ongoing and planned development efforts in Sindh. The visit to 11 flood-affected villages in seven districts across Sindh revealed the extensive geographical scope of the destruction and limited community infrastructure, such as electricity, water supply, sanitation, and proper drainage. These challenges complicated rebuilding efforts and exposed flood-affected families to health risks, higher vulnerability to climate change, and diminished ability to maintain their livelihood. The visits provided insights into how implementation mechanisms can be calibrated and tailored to meet the specific needs of different beneficiary communities. The approaches and lessons may also be replicated to improve the design, delivery, and evaluation of other development projects for other regions facing similar contexts and challenges. Community ownership and contribution. Despite having limited financial resources, communities were willing to take ownership of the reconstruction process—an encouraging sign of the project’s long-term sustainability. The communities, organized through their respective village reconstruction committees, committed to contribute in kind to the reconstruction of their homes and community infrastructures. Communities with more to spare committed to raising cash contributions from families in the village to support the operation and maintenance of WASH facilities. The creation of village reconstruction committees, which is the entry point for ADB’s housing, community infrastructure, and livelihood support, has proven effective in ensuring that: (i) communities are involved in the decision-making process; (ii) project support is aligned with local needs and given to those who most need it; and (iii) financial support is directly received by beneficiaries and used for their intended purpose. The organization of village reconstruction committees is a key element in ensuring the adoption of the project’s community-driven approach in project implementation. Civil society organizations working with the same beneficiary communities for other development projects, including those implemented by the World Bank and Islamic Development Bank, were tapped as implementing partners for the Sindh Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project. The implementing partners for project are the Health and Nutrition Development Society, Sustainable Actions to Access Financial Capital Opportunities, Thardeep Rural Development Programme, National Rural Support Programme, and Sindh Rural Support Organization. Flexibility in implementation. A flexible approach is necessary to address the varying needs of beneficiaries, particularly in constructing community infrastructure and improving community resilience. This underscores the importance of calibrating project interventions to the unique needs of each family or community to achieve maximum project impact. For example, different communities had different priorities for community infrastructure, with some emphasizing the need for WASH facilities, while others preferred support for solarization to improve access to electricity. For community resilience support, some communities preferred livelihood support, such as sewing and embroidery, block printing on fabric, animal husbandry, and community gardening. Others preferred support for disabled community members, such as ramps and wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, and support for those suffering from blindness (including night blindness which is prevalent in affected communities). Alignment among stakeholders. Achieving the project’s targets hinges not only on effective community engagement, but also on close coordination. A common understanding among various stakeholders—Government of Pakistan, Government of Sindh, Sindh People’s Housing for Flood Affectees, implementing partners, village reconstruction committees, communities, and beneficiary families—is crucial in ensuring that the project is relevant and responsive to the beneficiaries’ needs, implemented smoothly, and that requirements for monitoring and reporting are met. Replicable and Sustainable Solution The Sindh Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project contributes to the overall development efforts to help Sindh build back from the impacts of Pakistan’s worst flood in a century. It combines several layers of support that addresses the residents’ immediate need for shelter and improves their living conditions. It ensures inclusion, enhances social cohesion, opens economic opportunities, and strengthens the resilience of affected families and communities. By supporting and incentivizing community ownership and contribution to the reconstruction project, adopting flexible implementation mechanisms, and ensuring effective coordination and alignment among various stakeholders, the project can fulfill its potential to make a significant and lasting impact on the future of beneficiary families and communities, as well as Sindh’s recovery. The project’s approach, which combines housing solutions with community infrastructure and community resilience support (e.g., livelihood recovery assistance) offers a replicable model as an affordable, resilient, and sustainable housing solution. This housing reconstruction solution has potential to address the basic need for shelter while also building an ecosystem that helps families and communities thrive where they live. In addition, its community-driven platform—where communities lead the delivery of much-needed investments and partner with civil society organizations and local private sector—can benefit interventions well beyond the housing sector. This opens opportunities to improve the design and delivery of services and facilities in critical sectors, such as health and education. It also enhances project effectiveness and ensures the sustainability of these interventions. Taking a boots-on-the-ground approach in conducting the inception mission provided an opportunity for ADB and other stakeholders to appreciate the real conditions and challenges faced by flood-affected communities, understand the unique needs of target communities, and gain insights on how best to tailor-fit the project components and implementation mechanisms to maximize the project’s impacts. Resources Asian Development Bank. 2024. Pakistan: Sindh Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project. The Government of Pakistan, ADB, European Union, United Nations Development Programme, and World Bank. 2022. Pakistan Floods 2022: Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA). Ask the Experts Hong Soo Lee Senior Urban Development Specialist (Smart Cities), Water and Urban Development Sector Office, Sectors Group, Asian Development Bank Hong Soo Lee is a smart city expert with urban policy, planning, and development background. He brings his experience to support bank-wide initiatives and projects in urban development. Before joining ADB, he worked at the Seoul Housing Corporation, Republic of Korea Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority. Mian Shafi Senior Project Officer, Water and Urban Development Sector Office, Sectors Group, Asian Development Bank Mian Shafi is the urban unit head of ADB's Resident Mission in Pakistan. He specializes in urban, environmental, housing, transport, and disaster risk reduction. His extensive experience spans project management, planning and implementation for multilateral and bilateral agencies and private and public sectors. He has overseen a portfolio of more than $6 billion in urban and disaster risk reduction sectors in Pakistan and managed major housing reconstruction programs, including in earthquake-affected areas and in Sindh. Asian Development Bank (ADB) The Asian Development Bank is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region. Its main instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity investments, guarantees, grants, and technical assistance. Follow Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Leave your question or comment in the section below: View the discussion thread.