Pakistan

PM seeks national-level disaster management strategy

Kakar lauds NDMA, NEOC measures in coping with natural disasters

APP November 23, 2023

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar visits National Emergency Operation Centre and lauded the measures taken by NDMA and NEOC in coping with natural disasters on November 23, 2023-Thursday. Screengrab

ISLAMABAD:

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Thursday asked the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to collaborate with provincial disaster management bodies in order to formulate a national-level strategy to tackle natural disasters.

During his visit to the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC), PM Kakar lauded the measures taken by NDMA and NEOC in coping with natural disasters. However, he also stressed steps to enhance the capacity of Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs).

The prime minister emphasised benefiting from the research of foreign and Pakistani experts on climate change and ways to reduce its disastrous effects.

نگران وزیرِ اعظم انوار الحق کاکڑ کا نیشنل ایمرجنسی آپریشن سینٹر (NEOC) کا دورہ.

نگران وزیرِ اعظم انوار الحق کاکڑ نے آج NEOC کا دورہ کیا جہاں وزیرِ اعظم کو پاکستان کی ملک میں آفات کے حوالے سے تیاریوں، آفات کے بعد بحالی کے کام اور متحدہ عرب امارات میں منعقد ہونے والے اٹھائیسوین… pic.twitter.com/J8dAjhNLg2
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) November 23, 2023

The prime minister, who is due to participate in the 28th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP-28) in the United Arab Emirates on December 1-2, said Pakistan would update the world about its experiences in the wake of climate change.

NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik briefed the prime minister about the national strategy for disaster management.

Federal ministers Jalil Abbas Jilani and Shahmshad Akhtar attended the meeting.

The meeting was told that the NDMA had formulated a strategy for coping with disaster management, making a two-month advance forecast, and minimising the losses.

It was highlighted that Pakistan was among the countries that were facing the consequences of climate change in the shape of glacier melting, floods, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF), avalanches, landslides, and forest fires.

The meeting was apprised about the tools, including mobile disaster vehicles and satellite monitoring, used by the NDMA to assess the high-risk areas.

With a coordinated approach, the data collected was shared with the provincial and local administration.