Jacobabad, one tiny part of one of 40 districts swamped in square miles of water after 2010 floods. The denuded landscape was due to pre-flood land use (abuse). State of the Environment in Sindh, Pakistan Some personal observations between 2010 and 2014 Magnus Wolfe Murray Humanitarian Advisor, DFID-Pakistan

The “fertile” plains. Crops are planted in the same field twice a year: wheat then rice, for example. Fertiliser applied every time. The impact of such regular fertiliser run-off on local water tables in not fully known, though local people report levels of salinity in drinking water to be increasing. Summer temperatures here reach up to 53 degrees (C), winter as low as 3 degrees.

Early tree planting Protection from harsh sunlight and animals Community appreciation for trees despite near total denuded landscape So far we’ve supported almost 300,000 trees to be planted across Sindh

Camping in the recovery site. A family returning to the ruins of their brick house. Behind them flood waters cover the rest of their village. Taking tents they received from the humanitarian community during displacement they pick up their pieces and start again. Amazing resilience, hardiness and hospitality.

How the houses collapsed: built of rammed earth and straw, surrounded in water they slowly melted away. Most roofs have insufficient eaves to protect top of the walls, so many houses collapse from the roof-down in heavy rain. Fired brick walls with earthen mortar suffered the same fate.

Vernacular (traditional, local) building in North Sindh province. Katcha houses, made of local earth, dung and fibre. Set on a slightly raised plinth this building survived the flood despite sitting immersed in water for over 3 months. With heavy thermal mass it’s much cooler inside than brick houses, though most people want “pukka” brick with cement mortar if possible – because they don’t have techniques to reinforce the walls, such as mixing lime into the mud.

The fate of brick houses without foundations – water eroded the earth below the walls leading to structural failure and collapse.

One of the only building types to have survived the flood

A village in return. Everything washed away – an opportunity to rebuild and recovery with ecologically sustainable design principles. A nitrogen fixing tree for every house rebuilt, another that makes fruit, another to repel mosquitoes. In 5 years it could be a village in a productive forest. We’re at this crossroads: desert or forest. It’s their community and their choice, but without information about the alternatives they have no choice.

Behind the village, into the fields. Water recently receded. Cow dung being dried for cooking fuel. People used to use wood, but now almost all the trees are gone. Populations have soared over the past 50 years and now 70% of the province is under 18. Where will the cooking fuel of the future come from? How will we feed all those cows?

Firey debates about how cooking fuel. In this camp for displaced people they explain how they have to pay a lot for firewood or dried dung. Smokey and seriously inefficient, costly and unhealthy: the worst possible approach, yet the one used by everyone!

The classic three-rock cooking. Most heat dissipating out the sides and smoke in her eyes and lungs, every time she cooks, every day…

Once covered in trees this area is almost denuded. See how the choice location for the temporary shelter is in the only shade available for miles.

Local rammed earth wall: traditional construction. Now used for rebuilding a boundary wall. A hand dug well, going some 8m down, borehole about 3” diameter. Hand pump next. Water for camp of thousands of people displaced by flood living on raised bunds nearby.

The only vegetable garden plot for a community of 100 houses, People said they spend about 80% of their income on food (another 10% goes on electricity, which is set to double in cost next year). When food prices rise, people will be extremely food insecure and vulnerable.

How has the landscape changed since his childhood? What stories and skills can he share? And the future generation – how ready are they for the coming climate and energy crises? What are they learning about the past and how to cope in the future?