Beyond Cash Transfers: Governance, Climate Stress, and the Structural Limits of Poverty Reduction in District Mohmand of Peripheral Pakistan

Abstract

This research paper examines the role of conditional cash transfer program (CCTP) in reducing poverty in the governance, conflict, and climate-induced disaster affected area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, District Mohammad. Keeping in view the nature of the problem, the study employed mixed method research by including 341 households and 30 participants for interviews. CCTP plays significant role in addressing the practical and strategic needs of the beneficiaries such as water, food etc., that have stabilized their consumption capacity and promoted resilience against poverty, climate induced disasters and conflict-hit areas in the study area. The paper recommends a shift from project-based poverty alleviation toward integrated, governance-centered approaches that support social protection within climate-responsive and anticipatory participatory development frameworks. The case of Mohmand offers broader insights for rethinking poverty reduction strategies in crisis-affected regions across the Global South.