Sensitisation: Workshop focuses on disaster management
Workshop aims to sensitise PDMA and DDMA on disaster risk reduction.
LAHORE: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in collaboration with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)–Pakistan, arranged a two-day workshop on Disaster Risk Management–Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into Development at a local hotel here on Saturday.
NDMA Chairman Maj Gen Saeed Aleem was the chief guest. Other guests included Rescue 1122 Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer, PDMA–Punjab Director Nadia Saqib, CIDA Head of Cooperation Rhonda Gossen-Ehsani, NIDM Director General Ahmed Raza Sarwar and DRM Director Zebunnisa.
The purpose of the workshop was to sensitise the Provincial Disaster Management Authority and District Disaster Management Authority on disaster risk reduction for better preparedness for natural catastrophes.
Aleem said Pakistan had seen its fare share of disasters in the last decade. The earthquake of 2005 wreaked havoc in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir. However, he said, the 2005 earthquake was lesser in intensity than the one Japan experienced in March 2011, which was followed by a tsunami. Yet, he said, Pakistan lost 73,000 people and Japan 19,000. “We have to work for a bright and safe future through proper mitigation and preparedness activities. The government has approved a DRR policy and a 10-year National Disaster Management Plan. This is our guideline and this is our time to make our mark in better disaster management and disaster reduction,” he said.
Zebunnisa, Sibt-e-Abbas Zaidi and Ahmed Raza Sarwar presented salient features of the new DRR policy and NDMP. They also sensitised the audience on NDMA’s latest activities and achievements and suggestions to improve disaster response and mitigation.
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