PM opens centre to tackle disasters

Kakar emphasises importance of disaster resilient infrastructure and policy framework

ISLAMABAD:

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Thursday inaugurated the newly established state-of-the-art National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) to help in coordinated efforts to manage the natural disasters in the future.

Established at the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Headquarters, the Center would also help in disaster risk reduction and mitigation of damages.

The prime minister lauded the establishment of NEOC and emphasised the importance of disaster resilient infrastructure and policy framework. He said that despite being one of the least contributors of carbon emissions globally, Pakistan was one of the top countries affected by climate change.

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"Climate change is a real challenge that will keep haunting our future generations unless we take such concrete steps," he reiterated

The prime minister also praised the coordinated efforts of all state institutions during the devastating floods of 2022, especially NDMA. "Nearly one third of the population of the country was affected by floods in 2022 and USD 30 billion was estimated to be the economic losses."

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The prime minister said that the world needed to step forward and help developing countries like Pakistan to cope up the adverse effects of climate change.

He also praised the role of NCOC both in the Covid and 2022 floods. In a briefing, Prime Minister Kakar was told that NEOC would serve as hub of all technological inputs related to climate change, disasters management and predictive modeling for national emergencies.