ISLAMABAD: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) here on Thursday organized summer contingencies’ conference with proactive approach to foster coordination among all stakeholders.
Chairman NDMA, Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik presided the meeting and outlined the discussion areas for the conference. The representatives of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCCC), Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination (MoHSR), provincial, state and Gilgit Baltistan disaster management authorities (PDMAs, SDMA and GBDMA), Emergency services, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), SUPARCO, NHA, Armed Forces, CDA and ICT, PHF, NHN, FWO, Emergency Response Agencies and UNOCHA , UNDP and WHH Representatives attended the conference, a news release said.
The Chairman NDMA underscored the significance of preparedness by learning from the past experiences, timely training of responders and reviewing stock positions for summer contingencies, especially to tackle heatwaves, droughts, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), and cyclones.
He prioritized establishing a tech knowledge hub with academia at local levels and training human resources to save precious lives and livelihoods from potential disasters. He noted that proactive measures are essential in mitigating disaster impact and called for tangible actions before disaster strikes.
The PMD predicted normal to slight above-normal rainfall in Pakistan this year, which could benefit crops but farmers should conserve water in low-rainfall areas during the Kharif season. Thunderstorms during monsoon season may cause lightning and be hazardous. PMD also informed that average temperatures across Pakistan are likely to remain normal to slightly above-normal but may intensify.
The PDMAs, GBDMA, and SDMA presented their audit reports on resources including relief items and available equipment for summer contingencies. They also shared their awareness campaigns aimed to create awareness amongst the locals and mock exercises for summer contingencies. Chairman NDMA directed Provincial Authorities to coordinate with local NGOs and humanitarian organizations to maximize outreach to local communities and alignment of their resources according to the PMD’s weather projections.
Representatives of the Ministry of Food Security provided information about Rabi crops and key challenges related to food security. The forum received briefings from FWO and NHA regarding infrastructure maintenance and current reconstruction efforts after the Floods 2022. Chairman NDMA directed that future infrastructure projects should be based on detailed hydrological studies to prevent costly damages. –Agencies
