Plan to make Buner a model for disaster management

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation supporting the project

PESHAWAR: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) is aiming to work for strengthening of the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Unit at PDMA that will take measures to standardise the District Disaster Management Units (DDMUs) structures across the province, and to set up and enhance the capacity of DDMU Buner as a model.

A ceremony to mark the project launch was held at Deputy Commissioner Office in Buner on Monday in which Relief Rehabilitation and Settlement (RRS) Secretary Zahir Shah was the chief guest.



At the occasion PDMA Director General Muhammad Khalid said: “The project will support PDMA in strengthening the capacity of  its DRM Unit for piloting and demonstrating the DDMU in Buner and contributing to improve DRM system to enhance the resilience of the communities in K-P.”

RRS Secretary Zahir Shah said that keeping in view the diversity, magnitude and frequency of disasters and potential hazards Buner is faced with it becomes clear that any approach to bring in development to the district and its disaster mitigation and management capacity will be unsuccessful without a holistic approach to DRM.

Therefore the interventions focusing on district capacities will involve multi-level stakeholders and closely coordinated with the communities. Through strengthened   DDMU unit setup and civic participation, district Buner will emerge as a pioneer in DRR measures for minimising the impact of future emergencies and disaster response capacities. He also appreciated the support of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation for supporting this project.



ADirector General, PDMA Muhammad Khalid, Director Relief PDMA Abdul Basit, DC Buner, AC Azmat Wazir, Team Leader for Humanitarian Interventions, Rudolph Von Planta and Head of Humanitarian Affairs at SDC Franziska Voegtli, nazim,  naib nazim attended the ceremony.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2018.