Dealing with disasters: Locals call for awareness to reduce losses in calamities

Say training helps community members take timely steps in face of floods.

MINGORA: Participants of a seminar on disaster prevention in the northern areas, which have witnessed multiple floods and a devastating earthquake in the last decade, stressed training was key to minimising risk and losses in the face of calamities.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of a project activity titled ‘Sustainable Agriculture Rehabilitation to Ensure Food Security and Disaster Prevention in North Pakistan’ on Thursday, community members said lack of awareness and understanding resulted in inadequate prevention and counter measures.



“During the July 2010 floods, lack of awareness and poor risk management increased our losses by many folds. If we were aware and well trained about disaster management, the situation in upper Swat would have been different today,” said Aziz, a social activist from Mankyal while referring to the recent flood-like situation in parts of Swat valley.

Many participants from Shangla and Kohistan also shared similar experiences wherein training benefited their areas.

“We live in a snowbound area where heavy snowfall occurs every year and renders serious losses. After we received training we took timely steps which we were not aware of earlier,” said Syed Irshad Azim, a social activist hailing from Shangla.

Hazrat Ali from Dubair, Kohistan said first aid training also benefitted them. “As we live in far-flung and remote areas, there are no hospitals or basic health units (BHUs) nearby. In the case of an emergency or accident, the patient or victim would either die on the way to the hospital or become more ill. Now, we are able to administer important first aid assistance,” said Ali.

The event was organised by Society for Human and Natural Resource Development (Lasoona) with assistance from a German NGO.

Lasoona Project Director Noor Malik said the project activity was conducted in Swat, Shangla and Kohistan districts, particularly in areas affected by the 2010 floods.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2013.