By Zohaib Hassan, Norwegian Church Aid

Context

In 2022, severe floods in Pakistan affected over 33 million people, causing widespread damage. Sindh province was among the worst-hit areas, with major damage to infrastructure, homes, and essential services. Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), under the ACT Appeal (PAK221), provided urgent help in the districts of Badin, Dadu, and Mirpurkhas. NCA contextualised Sphere standards to meet the urgent needs of affected communities, the challenges they faced, and key successes.

The floods caused significant destruction, killing over 1,700 people and displacing millions. In Sindh alone, more than 14.5 million people were affected, with thousands of homes destroyed and essential services disrupted. In Badin, Dadu, and Mirpurkhas, people were left without access to clean water, sanitation, or adequate shelter. The stagnant floodwaters led to the spread of water-borne diseases, including malaria, dengue, and cholera. These conditions made the provision of safe drinking water, sanitation, and shelter the most pressing needs.

Adapting global standards to local realities

The project ran from October 2022 to July 2024, following a phased approach—initially providing support during the acute emergency phase, and later transitioning to early recovery interventions. During the emergency phase, Sphere standards were contextualised to suit camp settings. As people moved back to their homes, the standards were contextualised for community settings. Ventilated improved pit latrines were constructed in camps, while permanent latrines with water-sealed septic tanks were built in communities (⇒ WASH 3.3: Excreta management, guidance notes). For each activity, activities and indicators were adapted to facility design and community needs and capacities.

NCA placed a strong emphasis on WASH services and emergency shelter interventions, ensuring that Sphere standards were maintained while adapting to the specific needs of the local population. The intervention ensured that everyone had access to a minimum of 15 litres of clean water per day (⇒ WASH 2.1: Access and water quantity, key indicators), and provided gender-segregated sanitation facilities to meet cultural sensitivities.

In regions where groundwater was found to be brackish and unsuitable for consumption, NCA installed lead-line hand pumps, conducting rigorous water quality testing to ensure access to clean drinking water (⇒ WASH 2.2: Water quality, indicators). Moreover, septic tanks were constructed above ground to mitigate groundwater contamination risks in areas with shallow water tables.

Affected families in Dadu district of Pakistan were provided with permanent shelters.

Overcoming challenges through innovation

The intervention faced several hurdles, including the shallow groundwater table which made constructing septic tanks difficult, and high TDS [1] levels in water sources which complicated efforts to provide safe drinking water. NCA overcame these challenges by conducting extensive water quality testing and designing raised septic systems. In areas with particularly high groundwater salinity, boreholes were connected to lead-line hand pumps to bring potable water closer to people’s homes, reducing the risks for women and children who traditionally fetched water.

A key feature of NCA’s intervention was the involvement of women in decision-making processes. Recognising that women were primarily responsible for collecting water, NCA allowed them to select water points and sanitation locations (⇒Shelter 5: Technical assistance, guidance notes), ensuring that facilities were both accessible and convenient. This approach not only reduced protection risks for women but also improved the effectiveness of the intervention by aligning it with the community’s needs.

Outcomes and Lessons Learned

NCA’s response in Sindh successfully met Sphere standards for WASH and Shelter, reducing the risk of disease outbreaks and ensuring safe, dignified living conditions for the affected population. The intervention reduced water-fetching times (⇒ WASH 2.1: Access and water quantity, key indicators), minimised protection risks for women, and increased community awareness of public health risks.

One of the key lessons learned was the importance of flexibility in applying global standards. By adapting Sphere guidelines to the local context and involving the community in the planning process, NCA was able to deliver more sustainable and culturally appropriate solutions. The raised septic tanks and lead-line hand pumps were particularly effective in addressing the unique environmental challenges of Sindh’s flood-affected areas.

The 2022 flood response in Sindh offers valuable insights into the importance of adapting humanitarian standards to local contexts. By integrating community input and adapting Sphere standards to suit environmental and cultural realities, NCA ensured that its interventions met the needs of the most affected.

[1] Total dissolved solids