President Zardari stresses disaster resilience as vital for national development amid rising climate risks

ISLAMABAD, Oct 7 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari Wednesday said that Pakistan today faced an increasingly complex risk environment, intensified by climate change, urbanization and environmental degradation, stressing that disaster resilience, therefore, must be treated as an essential part of national development and their responsibility towards future generations.

The president further emphasized that they must move from reacting to emergencies towards anticipating risks, with scientific knowledge, reliable data and emerging technologies playing a greater role in this effort.

He opined that Next Generation Technology (NGT) at NDMA represents an important step in this direction. Advanced analytics, satellite technologies, predictive modelling and artificial intelligence can strengthen early warning systems, improve risk assessment and support better-informed decisions, adding these capabilities can help them prepare earlier and respond more effectively when disasters strike.

In a message on the occasion of National Resilience Day, being observed on October 8, the president said “National Resilience Day is a solemn occasion to remember the thousands of precious lives lost in the devastating earthquake of 8 October 2005 and to pay tribute to the survivors who rebuilt their lives with courage and determination. We honour the bereaved families and all those who stood beside affected communities in their hour of need.”

The tragedy remained etched in the national memory, but so did the extraordinary compassion and collective strength shown by the people and institutions of Pakistan, with support from international partners, he added.

The president observed their experience demonstrated that in times of adversity, their ability to protect one another and recover together was one of their greatest strengths, adding the most meaningful tribute to those lost was to turn the lessons of the past into measures that better protect lives and communities in the future.

“I express my sincere gratitude to the international community, including countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United States, China, Turkey, Iran, Japan and Cuba, for their solidarity and assistance during the earthquake. I also pay tribute to Pakistan’s national media, charitable organizations and countless volunteers who worked alongside public institutions to support affected communities. Their contribution remains an important part of our national experience of responding to disaster and helping people in times of need,” the President Secretariat Media Wing, in a press release, quoted the president as saying.

He said resilience also depends on partnerships, trust and our collective ability to mobilize resources.

The president said Global Resilience Hub is another important step towards strengthening Pakistan’s national resilience by bringing together key national and humanitarian stakeholders for greater coordination at the regional and global levels. NGT and the Global Resilience Hub could therefore serve as complementary elements of their evolving national resilience framework, he added.

He said a resilient Pakistan must also integrate risk reduction into development planning. Homes, schools, roads and essential services must be planned and strengthened with an understanding of future risks.

For ordinary citizens, the president said this means safer places to live, learn and work and greater confidence that essential services can continue when communities face a disaster.

He also underlined the need that regional and global cooperation in early warning, scientific research, technological innovation and humanitarian assistance must also be strengthened.

“On National Resilience Day, I call upon all institutions, communities and citizens to recognize resilience as a shared national responsibility. By combining the strength of our people with science, technology and sound planning, we can build a Pakistan better prepared for the uncertainties of tomorrow,” the president added.