Brick by Brick: Rebuilding Climate-Resilient Communities in Pakistan

As the world observes Earth Day, we think about more than just our planet’s health. We also consider the strength of the people who live on it.

From Bangladesh’s devastating floods to Somalia’s prolonged droughts, climate change is intensifying hardships in the countries where Muslim Aid operates. Rising temperatures and extreme weather displace communities, destroy livelihoods, and contribute to food insecurity.

In Pakistan, vulnerable families face recurring climate disasters with limited resources to recover. Pakistan saw severe floods in 2022, many families lost their homes, safety, and stability. From this destruction, a new story is emerging: one of hope, dignity, and sustainable rebuilding.

Muslim Aid Pakistan leads this effort with a programme that provides much more than shelter. It builds a future where communities can handle disasters and storms.

Changing weather and stronger disasters make climate-proof infrastructure more important than ever. To respond, Muslim Aid Pakistan has built flood-resistant homes in four districts:

•Sindh: Umer Kot, Mirpur Khas, Sanghar
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP): Upper Chitral and Lower Chitral

So far, we have built:

• 157 homes in Sindh, working with the Sindh People's Housing for Flood Affectees (SPHF)
• 50 homes in Chitral, KP, with help from the Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Department (RR&SD), KP

Looking ahead, in 2025, Muslim Aid Pakistan is constructing an additional 313 smart houses

• 200 in Sindh
• 113 in Chitral, KP

Each smart house has a single room, a washroom, an open kitchen and solar power. The goal is to create safe, sustainable, and eco-friendly homes, enabling its inhabitants to live with respect and dignity.

Led by Communities, Built for Resilience

The communities themselves are at the centre of this work. We have created Community Organisations and Mountain Resilient Village Committees, choosing members of the community to help with building smart houses. By involving locals and teaching them better building methods, we ensure these sustainable and easy-to-maintain homes become the standard practice.  

This approach encourages new skills and long-term ownership. It allows families to control their future.

Success Stories of Resilience and Recovery

Guddi’s Story – Sanghar, Sindh

Guddi, a 38-year-old mother of five, lives in Faqeer Ghulam Ali village, Sanghar. When the 2022 floods hit, her family's straw-made hut was severely damaged, leaving them in crisis. With seven members, including her husband Dayyalo, and their children aged four to 17, they struggled to access even basic needs like food and shelter.

Through Muslim Aid Pakistan’s flood-resilient housing project, Guddi’s family was selected by the local Village Committee to receive a new, solar powered home with a washroom and an open kitchen.

“After the flood, I thought we would never feel safe again. This home changed that. My children can sleep peacefully, and we can cook and live without fear,” Guddi shared.

Now, the children are back in school, and the family is slowly rebuilding their life with dignity and security.

Rafiq Ahmad’s Story – Lower Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

In the remote village of Moughlandeh, Lower Chitral, Rafiq Ahmad, a 41-year-old daily wage labour, was left with nothing after the flood destroyed his home. He had no steady income, and he had his wife, two sons, and 68-year-old widowed mother to support. Rafiq Ahmed was forced to live in a crumbling single room with his family. Rain leaked through the roof, and a makeshift kitchen made of CGI sheets offered little protection from the brutal winters.

“We were living in a weak room where rain dripped from the ceiling. Now we have a strong, warm space. My family can live with dignity again.” Rafiq Shared

Thanks to Muslim Aid Pakistan, the family now has a safe, climate-resilient room with a toilet, built to withstand Chitral’s harsh conditions. For Rafiq, it’s more than a shelter it’s a chance to live with dignity, comfort, and peace once again.