Exploring Climate Resilience in a Low-Middle Income Country: The Impact of Socio-Economic Incentives on Informal Workers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Jessica Ports Robbins

March 17, 2026

• Maria Ishaq Khattak, Khyber Medical University
• Saad Ishaq Khattak, University of Liverpool
• Zia ul Haq, Khyber Medical University

Summary:

Climate change disproportionately impacts informal sector workers, who face precarious incomes, limited assets, and exclusion from formal social protection systems. This study examines how socio-economic incentives, particularly one-time cash grants and the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), contribute to the climate resilience of informal sector workers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A qualitative phenomenological design was used to capture lived experiences across three climatic zones: northern, central, and southern. Data was collected through thirty in-depth interviews with informal sector workers and six focus group discussions with institutional stakeholders. Findings show that while cash transfers provided short-term relief for food, rent, and healthcare, their fixed amounts and rigid schedules were insufficient to address recurrent and long-term climate shocks. Barriers such as digital inaccessibility, bureaucratic hurdles, and gendered restrictions further constrained access, particularly for rural women. Despite these challenges, informal sector workers relied on social networks, flexible routines, and low-cost innovations to manage crises. The study concludes that current programs primarily build absorptive rather than transformative resilience. It calls for climate-sensitive social safety nets that are climatesmart, inclusive, and adaptive social protection systems to strengthen the long-term resilience of informal sector workers.

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