ISLAMABAD, May 25 (APP):A delegation of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) led by Chairman NDMA, Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik and Member Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Idrees Mahsud represented Pakistan at Mid-Term Review of the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction at United Nations headquarters in New York.
It was followed by interactive sessions with key partners at Global Facility on Disaster Risks Reduction (GFDRR) component of the World Bank and other agencies including USAID, US State Dept, and HQ FEMA at Washington DC, from 22-24 May 2023, said a news release issued here Thursday.
As the keynote panelist, the Chairman NDMA emphasized the need to learn from past experiences to prevent future disasters and called for a global correction in DM strategies regardless of discrimination. He underscored the importance of proactive planning and predictive modeling for vulnerable nations along with global collaboration for cost-effective solutions for pre and post-disaster periods.
He stressed on sharing the latest data for realistic planning and using scientific interventions to accurately predict and assess disasters. He noted that private sector and external financial instruments could provide much-needed relief from public funds with proper incentives and accountability. He added that identifying vulnerabilities in high-risk zones by using technology and proactive watch protocols is critical for post-disaster impact data for validation, credibility, and capacity development.
To address the complexity of poly disasters, sequential, and simultaneous, the Chairman NDMA reiterated the significance of multi-tiered operations, including spontaneous responses and shared disaster risk reduction instruments. He observed that collaboration among NGOs, private sectors, financiers, fund managers, academia, and responders is crucial for proactive risk identification and preparedness.
The Chairman NDMA highlighted that Pakistan’s resilience and adaptation make it worthy of support and recognition, especially when it has helped Turkey and Syria during its own disasters.
