Recovery framework case study: Pakistan earthquake 2005 - centralized recovery planning and decentralized implementation

This case study, based on comprehensive literature review and interviews with key stakeholders, presents the highlights of the post-earthquake reconstruction process. It outlines the decision-making processes in recovery planning and extracts best practices and key lessons learned from the experience.

2005 earthquake caused major damage in Pakistan. Leaving 73,000 dead, the earthquake’s reconstruction was spread across the North West Frontier Province (NWFP, now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, KPK) and a federally administered state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). A total of 8 districts across the two administrative entities bore the brunt of the earthquake.

This document addresses key elements such as: (a) Institutional framework for recovery; (b) Policy making and planning for recovery programs; (c) Costing and financing recovery programs, and; (d) Managing recovery and monitoring the delivery of results. Over time, the DRF is intended help improve government readiness for disaster recovery. By following the Guide, disaster recovery will be seen not as a short-term, remedial response, but an opportunity to build resilience and contribute to long-term development.