Workshop on disaster risk management held
LAHORE: With a view to sensitise Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and DDMAs on ‘Disaster Risk Reduction’ for better preparedness of the unforeseen natural catastrophes in future, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with CIDA – Pakistan arranged a two-day workshop on “Disaster Risk Management – Mainstreaming DRR into Development” in Lahore.
Chairman NDMA Major General Saeed Aleem was the chief guest at the occasion. Other guests included DG Rescue 1122 Dr Rizwan Naseer, Director PDMA – Punjab Nadia Saqib, Head of Co-operation CIDA Rhonda Gossen-Ehsani, Director General NIDM Ahmed Raza Sarwar and Director DRM Zeb Unisa. Officials from PDMA – Punjab, DDMAs, NDMA and CIDA participated in the event. It may be noted that Pakistan lies in a disaster vulnerable area and there is much risk of damage to human and financial assets in the country.
Chairman NDMA Saeed Aleem emphasised on the DRR aptitude in the past. In his keynote, he said that Pakistan has seen its fare share of disasters in the last one decade. The earthquake of 2005 wrecked havoc on the nation, dismantling life and communication in vast parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir, he added.
However, he said, 2005 earthquake in Pakistan was lesser in magnitude than the one Japan suffered in March 2011, which was followed by a towering flood raging from the ocean. Yet Pakistan lost 73,000 people and Japanese human loss accounted from only 19,000. This is where proper disaster risk reduction can play is vital part, he said. He said what is done is done. Now we have to see the future which can be bright and safe with proper implementation of mitigation and preparedness activities.
Government of Pakistan has approved the DRR Policy and 10-year National Disaster Management Plan. This is our guideline and this is our time to make our mark in better DM and DR, he averred. Later on officials from NDMA presented the salient features of the new DRR policy and NDMP by Zeb Unisa, Sibt-e-Abbas Zaidi and Ahmed Raza Sarwar. They also sensitised the audience on NDMA’s latest activities, achievements suggestions to improve disaster response and mitigation, and how to build a resilient Pakistan.
Source: Business Recorder
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