As another monsoon season lashes Pakistan with rain, much of interior Sindh is drowning once again. With 5.3 million people already affected and several districts declared disaster areas, more rain is expected throughout much of the province in the next few days.

Beyond these statistics however is the very real human cost of the tragedy – families losing their homes and livelihoods to floods, children lying in pain in the throes of dengue fever and communities who inspired us with their resilience after the 2010 floods once again facing the wrath of Mother Nature. Unfortunately stories of devastation from natural calamities like these are becoming all too familiar for Pakistan. Beyond the human-induced death and destruction that has dominated headlines in the last decade; nature too has played a role in the form of earthquakes, droughts, landslides and floods.

Unfortunately, while elements of these disasters may be beyond our control, the burdens of responding to these disasters – and critiques thereof – are within our control. Events like earthquakes cannot be controlled or even accurately predicted and while flooding and droughts can be predicted with some degree of accuracy, completely eliminating the threat of either would require complete control over rain, which we can’t do.

We can however, and we must focus our efforts on preparing and preventing these disasters as much as possible but unfortunately we’re not.

Beyond Pakistan, through much of the developing world, the response to natural disasters is reactionary – responding to an event after it happens and trying to provide relief and rehabilitation to those affected. Unfortunately, with budgets stretched thin and the regulatory power of the state often less than stellar, little investment is made in preparing for a threat that is perceived as far-off and unlikely. The sheer amount of devastation faced by Pakistan since 2005 at the hands of natural disasters should make it clear to us however that this threat is neither far-off nor unlikely and that in the long-run, prevention and preparation can save lives, money and resources.

In addition to preparing our riverbanks and floodplains, ensuring that our buildings can withstand tremors taking steps to prepare hillsides against mudslides; financial preparation too can make a lasting difference. Both globally as well as nationally, there are few funds set aside to deal with disasters. Instead, much of the current model of paying for disaster recovery centers on passing around the begging bowl after the fact – issuing an appeal and then waiting for funds to trickle in. Unfortunately, this leaves our ability to fight disasters vulnerable to variables like donor fatigue and strapped budgets that we can ill afford.

Indeed, each and every citizen can play their role in this by taking the time to prepare themselves for emergencies in a multitude of small ways from putting together a first aid kit to keeping an emergency stash of drinking water to having some cash available. On a community level too, there are tangible small steps that can be taken to better prepare for emergencies – ensuring that building codes are met, keeping pathways clear for emergencies and just making sure that neighborhood drains are cleaned out ahead of the monsoon season.

While these are just a small sampling of preparations offered by someone with no training or experience in disaster management, they are unified by a common theme – one that can go beyond disasters to uplift communities – a common sense of purpose and a determination to work together. As the Orangi Pilot Project has shown, the power of a community determined to make a difference and willing to work hard should not be underestimated.

It is through building the strength of local communities – empowering people at the lowest tier of governance to come together and work together – that we have the most power to overcome both the greatest disasters nature can throw at us as well as the daily trials and tribulations of poor infrastructure, failing schools and an unresponsive government.