Robina Saleem lost her home and ability to walk when she was buried under rubble when a strong 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck her hometown in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), in October 2005.

Her life will never be the same again, but she was lucky to get a new house in 2013 built from straw bale by Pakistan Straw Bale and Appropriate Building (PAKSBAB), a non-profit organisation, on the outskirts of Rawalpindi.

“This house is energy efficient and quite comfortable in both summer and winter unlike our past home that was made of brick and mortar,” said Saleem, aged 52, sitting in a wheelchair.

Her straw bale home stands amid traditional red bricks houses and appears to withstand erratic weather as well as cement structures. She lives with her husband and three children, and has become a strong advocate for straw bale houses, especially in the hilly areas prone to earthquakes.

“If I was living in a straw bale home at the time of 2005 earthquake, I’m sure I would not have broken my spinal cord,” she says.

An answer to earthquakes

Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries to earthquakes, with over 215 earthquakes in 2015 alone, according to Earthquake Track.

Pakistan suffered economic losses of around $5.2billion in the 2005 earthquake, according to a World Bank report. The quake left around 2.8 million homeless and killed at least 73,000 people.

To build these homes, straw, a natural by-product of farming is collected and baled, and then fitted into a frame before being rendered with earthen or lime stucco. A timber frame is built to reinforce the walls and support the roof.

PAKSBAB has built 40 straw homes for earthquake victims in different areas of Pakistan and received encouraging feedback from residents, Darcey Messner Donovan, chief executive officer told thethirdpole.net.

“Our unique straw bale construction method uses local and renewable materials to build affordable homes that are extremely earthquake resistant and energy efficient,” she says.

The cost of construction, including materials and labour, is between Rs500 – 600 (US$4.70-5.70) per square foot, depending on the complexity of the design, availability of local materials and the economy of scale.

This compares favourably with the cost of construction of middle income homes in Pakistan, which is Rs1,500 – 1,700, or three times as much. In posh localities, of course, the prices are much higher.

“We believe it is a very promising technology which could grow through outreach and training,” she says, adding that she is working with some parliamentarians and non-profit organisations to re-launch the project soon.

PAKSBAB has trained over 70 local builders so far in Pakistan, but has halted its operations for the time being due to lack of funds since the organisation was building straw bale homes for free, Donovan says.

“Our biggest hurdle has been securing funding for our projects. We’ve accomplished a lot with a couple of small grants and donations from family and friends, but it’s time to take it to the next level.”

No interest from the government or society

Despite being energy efficient and heat resistant, as well as relatively cheap and easy to build, straw bale homes have not taken off in Pakistan because of government apathy and people’s suspicion about their durability and resilience in the face of earthquakes, floods and landslides.

The government’s apathy towards constructing earthquake prone and green buildings increases the risks to life and property in case of earthquakes and other natural disasters.

It also exacerbates the environmental degradation of the construction industry, says Muneeb Haider, senior architect and head of technical development at Pakistan Green Building Council, a non-profit organisation that aims to build efficient green buildings and communities.

He says using straw bale material to build homes helps cut carbon emissions and enable people to cope with heat waves and other extreme weather conditions.

“The straw bale homes are environment friendly too as their material naturally biodegrades unlike the brick and mortar buildings.”

Status conscious at the cost of being environmental conscious

Most people in Pakistan will still need convincing straw houses are better than cement, Haider admits.

“People in both urban and rural areas of Pakistan are status conscious and they feel that straw and mud houses are good only for the poor. It is unfortunate that concrete multi-story buildings are fast becoming a status symbol in our society,” he laments.

Bilal Anwar, senior manager at the Centre for Climate Research and Development, an independent research institute at Comsats University, says straw bale technique can empower people in disaster-prone areas, allowing them to rebuild their houses themselves with the right training.

“The displacement and subsequent rehabilitation of a large number of victims in the aftermath of earthquakes and other natural disasters causes further environmental degradation, therefore the use of straw bale homes can help preserve the environment and cut economic losses too,” Anwar says.

“The disaster management authorities need to realise the importance of green buildings like straw bale homes and should promote them with help of locals, architects and green campaigners.”

This article first appeared on www.thirdpole.net and has been reproduced with permission.