“Considering topography as diverse as Pakistan’s and the unpredictable climate somersaults, we need to be prepared for all kinds of disasters at any instance,” Naseer Memon, Strengthening Participatory Organisation chef told Dawn.com. He advised the government preparing vulnerability mapping of potential disasters; looking into locally-guided disaster risk reduction and response planning and fortification of disaster response organisations.
Ali Tauqir Sheikh, head of Leadership for Environment and Development stated: “No funds have been raised for disaster awareness, response or its preparedness.” He added that a “fraction of the amount spent on disaster response could prevent colossal damage, but proper planning, institutional capacity and political will are required for things to work.”
Saleem H. Ali, professor of environmental studies at the University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, warned that “there is a far greater need for investment in retrofitting older buildings to withstand earthquakes.”