Pakistan: Study for disaster risk management units at district level

A joint study conducted by Al-Khidmat Foundation and Riphah International University concluded that Pakistan needed establishment of fully-equipped disaster risk management units at district level to reduce possible impacts of environmental degradation, climate change and natural disasters.

“The environmental degradation and climate change has increased likelihood and intensity of natural hazards in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and rest of the country”, the report added. It recommended setting up disaster management units at all 105 districts of the country, adding that each unit should be fully equipped with trained people and autonomous in implementing guidelines envisaged under National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Act 2010.

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The study suggested that the disaster management units at district level would help in effectively assessing potential risks and hazards. For the purpose, each unit must have separate office instead of the virtual department run by a nominee of the deputy commissioner on ad-hoc basis, the study emphasised. It recommended for inclusion of special needs of women and children as well as people with physical disabilities while designing disaster risk reduction (DRR) plans. It said DRR plans were a must to enhance government’s capacity to reduce disaster risk at national, provincial and district levels, and to develop a pragmatic approach in this regard.

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