Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman on Wednesday said systematic and proactive disaster risk management was crucial to managing the ongoing climate calamities.
The minister was addressing as the chief guest at the concluding session of two-day multi-hazard based National Simulation Exercise (SIMEX) organised by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) with support of Welt Hunger Hilfe (WHH) and UN in Pakistan here.
During SIMEX, the syndicates were subjected to simulated disaster situations entailing to a medium scale earthquake; and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF), riverine/rain induced flooding/ Cloud burst leading to urban flooding.
Subsequently, the syndicates were assessed/ evaluated on contingency and emergency response plans and humanitarian/relief actions.
In her keynote address, the minister appreciated the efforts of NDMA and the UN in Pakistan for spearheading such an exercise to evaluate preparedness level, disaster management and the way forward. She said that Pakistan was on the frontlines of climate change with floods, landslides, torrential rains, GLOF events, and earthquakes.
The minister urged the stakeholders to enhance the capacities of local communities to deal with crises at the grass root level and replicate simulation exercises at provincial level. In his concluding remarks, the Chairman NDMA lauded the level of participation and performance of relevant federal and provincial authorities & departments in simulation exercises.
While underlining the importance of the exercise, he said that SIMEX had provided an opportunity to improve our national response mechanism and these kinds of exercises would be continued in the future.
He assured NDMA’s support and cooperation to all stakeholders to reduce the risk and impacts of disaster. At the end, the minister distributed certificates among the participants of SIMEX.
