PDMA finalises winter contingency plan for K-P

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), under the guidance of the relief, rehabilitation and settlement department, has formulated the Winter Contingency Plan for 2023-24 in order to cope with various natural hazards which the province may face during the winter season.

The plan encompasses strategies to manage hazards such as extreme low temperatures, fog, smog, snowfall, rainfall, landslides, flash floods and seismic activities in the mountainous north and west.

In a press statement, PDMA Director General Muhammad Qaisar Khan stated that the Winter Contingency Plan 2023-24 had been initiated in October 2023 and involved key stakeholders such as the federal government, provincial line departments, the district administration, UNDP GLOF-II and other development partners.

The statement further said digital tools for data collection had been developed and shared, including information on district, sector-specific hazards, vulnerability profiles, hazard impacts, damages, compensation details, resource mapping, need assessment, and coordination efforts.

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The Winter Contingency Plan 2023-24 offers a comprehensive overview of the winter hazard profiles for each district in the province. It includes details on the composite risk score for every district based on various hazards and outlines corresponding risks, along with an estimation of the vulnerable population in cases of emergencies.

The plan further guides districts in mapping vulnerable sites and developing contingency plans, identifying roles and responsibilities of various departments to ensure a coordinated response to unfavorable scenarios.

The province faces several winter hazards. Each hazard presents unique challenges, such as disruptions in daily life, road closures, building collapses, landslides and shortages of supplies and commodities.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2023.