‘Institutions must coordinate to protect against disasters’
A boat stranded on the shore of Thatta after a flood. As a consequence of climate change, frequency of floods has increased, forcing entire communities living in the coastal areas to uproot themselves. After every devastation, fishermen, along with their meagre belongings are left with little choice to move elsewhere in search of livelihood. PHOTO: JAHANZEB TAHIR (@jt76007)
Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman has said coordination among institutions involved in disaster management is necessary for protection against natural calamities.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) simulation exercise to ensure the preparedness of the departments concerned to cope with impending disaster risks in the coming summer season, she said that the NDMA, PDMA along with other organisations worked together in the rescue and rehabilitation of the disaster affected.
Rehman along with NDMA Chairman Inam Haider Malik and WFP Country Head Chris attended the inaugural session of the three-day long exercises and delivered opening remarks.
In an effort to ensure the preparedness of Federal and Provincial departments for emergencies, NDMA has initiated a series of simulation exercises (Sim Ex) to assess the effectiveness of emergency response strategies and evaluate readiness in the event of a disaster.
In this regard, NDMA conducted the first Sim Ex for floods and rain emergencies with the support of the Ministry of Climate Change, UNICEF and Welt Hunger Hilfe (WHH) from March 14-16 in Islamabad.
Senator Rehman said there was a need to increase cooperation between various institutions to deal with disasters in the future. She added the first task after a natural disaster was to restore basic infrastructure whereas no country could bear the loss of natural calamities on its own. During the natural calamities, she said the friendly countries were the first to reach out for help. “Pakistan suffered massive losses due to floods.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 15th, 2023.