State Response and Local Realities: Analyzing the 2025 Flood in Buner through Political and Social Lenses

Abstract

and infrastructural losses, exposing gaps in disaster preparedness and response mechanisms. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the government’s disaster response during the flood and examine the role of community networks, NGOs, and social cooperation in mitigating the crisis. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and data were collected from 120 respondents using a structured questionnaire. Statistical analysis, including descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and regression modeling, was employed to assess perceptions and predictors of government effectiveness. Findings revealed that only 24.2% of respondents agreed the government provided timely warnings, while 42.5% perceived relief distribution as politically influenced. Community networks were acknowledged by 81.7% of respondents as critical in reducing suffering, and 74.2% reported NGOs performed better than the government. Regression analysis indicated that predictors explained 42.5% (R² = 0.425) of the variance in perceived government effectiveness, with early warning system improvement (β = 0.265, p = 0.002) emerging as the strongest positive factor, and political favoritism (β = –0.208, p = 0.004) exerting a negative effect. The study concludes that effective disaster management in Pakistan requires stronger early warning systems, transparent governance, resilient infrastructure, and community integration.

Keywords: Disaster Management, Flood 2025, Community Resilience, Government Response, Buner Pakistan.