National Fund for Disaster Management planned
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ISLAMABAD (APP): National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is in process of establishing National Fund for Disaster Management whose major part would be used for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities such as early warning system and flood mitigation.
With objective to ensure institutional development, capacity building and early warning system, MDMA has identified 10 priority areas and 122 projects under its Disaster Management Plan (DMP).
The NDP-2013-22 formulated under Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Policy parameters is a strategic plan which provides for enhancing capacity of country to prepare for and respond to disasters such as floods, landslides, earthquakes, drought, tsunami, cyclone, glacier lake outburst flood, avalanches and tropical sea storms by defining measures necessary for disaster management.
Official sources on Saturday said the major initiatives are that comprehensive national guidelines for school safety are being prepared to bring awareness as well as to ensure safety of children.
The other activities included enforcement of building codes being pursued through Ministry of Housing and Works, National Fire and Life Safety Codes being developed for the first time in country with the collaboration of Pakistan Engineering Council and awareness and advocacy was being conducted through public service messages during monsoon as well as during earthquake.
Gender and child cells were also established at NDMA and PDMAs to grant much needed attention to vulnerable groups during entire spectrum of disaster.
The sources said 41 strategies have also been identified under NDP in domain of awareness, early warning system, human resource development, hazard and risk assessment etc.
The sources said National Disaster Management Plan identified roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders involved in disaster management while NDMA facilitates various organization/agencies to undertake interventions as identified in NDMP to achieve desired results.
Answering a question about important aspects of NDMP, the sources said macro level risk assessment for entire country has been completed while micro level assessment under progress.
Drought assessment carried out in districts of Balochistan while early warning and evacuation systems for communities established through SMS alerts, the sources added.
They said after earthquake on April 10, 2016, all provinces and concerned agencies were sensitized to carry out fresh survey of vintage and dilapidated buildings with a view to identify relocation of masses if so required.
Regarding DRR policy, the sources said this aims at strengthening disaster preparedness and response capabilities, building capacities of disaster management practitioners at all levels and that of communities as well as strengthening structural and non-structural resilience of infrastructure.
As per NDM Act 2010 Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) and District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) have been assigned to examine vulnerability of different parts of the provinces to different disasters and specify prevention and mitigation. NDMA progressively attained the capacity to support about 300,000 people all over the country through its well-stocked warehouses located at regional basis in any kind of disaster.
