GLOF-II project

One of the best ways to tackle climate-induced natural disasters is to be pre-prepared as much as possible

Over the past few years, Pakistan has witnessed its fair share of climate-induced natural disasters that have wreaked havoc, created humanitarian crises, and led to severe economic losses. One of the best ways to tackle the situation is to be pre-prepared as much as possible.

Proper management and adequate planning to deal with such disasters head-on help reduce its destructive capacity and ensure less damage. In this regard, the UNDP has initiated a GLOF-II project in early warning systems to identify GLOF events beforehand in 24 vulnerable valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The implementation of the project can provide local governments the perfect example of how to utilise and set up community-based disaster risk management through adequate manpower and use of technology in their respective provinces. The purpose of this is not just to prepare beforehand but also to improve disaster response in general. The devastation of the 2020 floods has shown that immediate help at such a vast scale is nearly impossible, therefore community must improve pre-preparedness and learn how to be resilient during such times. While the UNDP will also train concerned officials on how to assemble, install, commission and operate the early warning systems, equally important is: a) how the information retrieved is disseminated among the masses so that they are able to take necessary precaution; b) how fast the government can initiate an on-ground response to evacuate and help citizens. Detecting a natural disaster event is the easy part, what follows and how we react to it will determine the extent of damage.

Unfortunately, this will be a constant fight that Pakistan will be dealing with. Therefore, the country must constantly stay updated on new information and technology that can prove to be essential in saving lives.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2023.

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