PARD trains Govt officials on disaster risk reduction, relief management; KP DRR policy all set for inaguration
PESHAWAR (APP): The Pakistan Academy for Rural Development (PARD) here on Wednesday organized a day-long training session for officials from federal and provincial government departments on strengthening community resilience through disaster risk reduction (DRR), emergency response, and relief management.
Officials from various federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government organizations including Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Tehsil Municipal Administrations (TMAs), and district administrations attended the training.
Participants were briefed on the identification and resolution of issues related to disaster risk reduction, government policies for mitigating natural and man-made disasters, and strategies for responding to hazards such as earthquakes, floods, forest fires, and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs).
PDMA Adviser on disaster risk management, Ismail Khan Yousafzai, highlighted various types of disasters as well as hazards and outlined the government’s efforts to mitigate their impact.
He said that in the event of disasters such as floods or earthquakes, the immediate priority is rescue operations, followed by rehabilitation and reconstruction.
He stressed that enhanced coordination, effective planning, and close collaboration among government departments and relief organizations could significantly reduce human casualties and economic losses during natural and man-made disasters.
“The impact of major disasters such as the devastating 2005 earthquake, the 2010 floods, TDPs and the COVID-19 pandemic could be minimized through collective efforts by communities and government institutions,” he said.
Ismail Yousafzai said the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the country’s tiered disaster management system were established under the National Disaster Management Act, 2010.
He said the primary role of PDMA Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is to strengthen disaster preparedness and management across the province, with emphasis on prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
He added that the authority also serves as the lead agency for coordinating relief operations, providing assistance to affected communities, and managing emergency situations.
Ismail Yousafzai said that 17 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are vulnerable to disasters, including floods, forest fires, GLOFs, heatwaves, and cloudbursts, due to the province’s geography and climate-induced weather variations.
He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the first province to approve a Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) policy through its provincial cabinet. Under the policy, a Disaster Risk Management Fund (DRMF) will be established to ensure the timely provision of relief to disaster-affected people in future.
He further informed participants that an oversight committee comprising representatives of all relevant departments is being constituted to oversee the effective implementation of the DRR policy.
He said the offices of Additional Deputy Commissioners (Relief) are being strengthened across all districts, while efforts are underway to post PDMA officers in every district to help improve the speed and efficiency of future relief operations.
Yousafzai also announced that, in addition to offering six-month internships to students of public and private educational institutions, the government plans to empower communities at the union council level to strengthen disaster risk reduction efforts.
Speaking on the occasion, Director Training PARD Muhammad Arshad said the institute has so far trained more than 50,000 officials from various government departments since its inception.
He said the on-campus training programme was organized in line with the vision of Director General PARD Captain (Retd.) Usman Gul and formed part of the institute’s broader capacity-building initiatives in collaboration with the National Institute of Public Administration and the Pakistan Provincial Services Academy to strengthen disaster management capabilities of government officials.
The session concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session. The participants thanked the PARD for holding on campus physical training for Govt officials on DRRs.
