Governing Inequality: A Socio-Legal and Environmental Justice Analysis of Flood Recovery in Pakistan

Abstract

Pakistan's recent cycles of floods have made the unavoidable inequalities in disaster response visible; they have raised important questions on justice, governance and rights-based recovery. This research investigates unequal post-flood recovery after the 2022 and 2025 floods with the help of an integrated framework of environmental justice, governance theory, socio-legal analysis and recurrent disaster vulnerability. Using a qualitative research design, the study examines legal frameworks, institutional reports, and empirically based literature to examine the extent to which access to relief, compensation, and reconstruction is affected by systemic inequities. Findings show entrenched distributional, recognitional, and procedural injustices, which are compounded by structural governance weaknesses and documentation barriers, with disproportionate impact upon marginalised groups. The recurrence of severe floods adds to existing vulnerabilities, causing cumulative disadvantage and institutional fatigue. The study argues that Pakistan's disaster governance needs to shift towards rights-based and equity-centered approaches, incorporating legal access to resources, inclusive participation by different people, and sustained rehabilitation. The paper ends with policy implications for promoting climate justice and building institutional resilience in the changing climate scenario of the country.