‘Include disaster reduction in planning’

Adviser says victims of quake to be remembered

PESHAWAR: With the country facing a number of natural disasters since the devastating October 8, 2005 earthquake 13 years ago, stress has been laid on mainstreaming disaster risk reduction (DRR) into institutional planning.

This was stated by the Advisor to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister on Industries Abdul Karim Khan while addressing an event to mark ‘National Disaster Awareness Day’ in Peshawar on Monday. The event had been organised by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in collaboration with Social welfare Department, Centre for Disaster and Preparedness Management (CDPM) and Care international at the Khyber Union Hall of the Islamia College University in Peshawar.

“The government is also planning to integrate DRR into the school curriculum,” Abdul said.

PDMA Director General Motasim Billah said that committed efforts were required to make the necessary arrangements across the province to reduce disaster risk.

In this regard, he urged participants to work for community awareness at their respective levels.

He further stressed on the implementation and enforcement of building codes policy, conducting geological surveys to identify vulnerable locations and multi-hazard vulnerability assessment across the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 9^th, 2018.