essay on disaster management in pakistan

The Role of Mosque in Building Resilient Communities pp 51–93 Cite as

Disaster Management in Pakistan

• Abdur Rehman Cheema 5  
• First Online: 05 December 2021

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Part of the book series: Islam and Global Studies ((IGS))

This chapter presents the analysis of five decades of the development planning history of Pakistan. Disaster management was highly centralised and skewed towards the response and relief phases of the disaster management cycle. Before the 2005 earthquake, Pakistan did not have a single federal organisation for disaster management with a multi-hazard approach. The 2005 earthquake was a lesson-producing event for the whole nation and the government in terms of renewed awareness of disaster preparedness and the mitigation of other hazards beyond flooding. Despite a paradigm shift from a flood-based and highly centralised contingency disaster risk approach to a multi-hazard and integrated disaster policy incorporating a broad range of stakeholders in disaster management, the disaster management structure is marred by myopic and ad hoc tendencies, which override objectivity and hinder the stable progression towards mitigation of climate change effects and a reduction in vulnerability in a hazard-prone Pakistan.

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Direct control of the country by the armed forces (Macmillan Dictionary, 2012).

Some parts of this section draw on my work during doctoral thesis titled “exploring the role of the mosque in dealing with disasters: A cases study of the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan” at Massey University, New Zealand available at http://hdl.handle.net/10179/4080 .

Excluding Punjab Emergency Service, which was operative only in some parts of the Punjab province before the 2005 earthquake.

District Coordination Officer was Called Deputy Commissioner before the introduction of the Local Government Ordinance 2001.

So far, periods of military rule include 1958–1971, 1977–1988 and 1999–2007.

This inertia in an institutional structure has been of interest to academic scholarship and is referred to as path dependence (Imran, 2010 ; Jacob, 2001 ).

Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Assembly has passed a unanimous resolution in March 2021 demanding of the Government of Pakistan to grant the “Provisional Provincial Status” to Gilgit-Baltistan region till the Kashmir issue is settled through plebiscite according to the UN Security Council resolution. Currently, GB has a Council consisting 24 members directly elected by the people while the prime minister of Pakistan as its Chairman. The chief minister and the governor are also in place but the region does not the status of a province (Shaheedi, 2021 ).

The concept of critical facilities is to identify those buildings, facilities and services that are essential for people, such as transport, electricity, fire service, hospital and health clinic in the time of extreme emergency (UNISDR, 2009 ).

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Cheema, A.R. (2022). Disaster Management in Pakistan. In: The Role of Mosque in Building Resilient Communities. Islam and Global Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-7600-0_3

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Disaster Management in Pakistan

Disaster management in Pakistan By Irshad Ali Sodhar (FSP) Outline 1. Introduction 2. Disaster; definition and types 3. Disaster management 4. Phases of disaster management; a. Mitigation b. Preparedness c. Response d. Recovery 5. History of disasters in Pakistan 6. Disaster in the wake of recent floods 7. Structure of disaster management in Pakistan 8. Role of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) 9. Abysmal state of disaster preparedness and management in Pakistan 10. Impacts of weak disaster management i) Food crisis ii) Health hazards iii) Ravaged infrastructure iv) Unemployment and economic loss v) Militancy and crime vi) Political upset 11. An organised disaster management is the need of the …show more content…

The key to effective disaster management is readiness to provide a rapid emergency response. It entails everyone to be prepared to respond to extreme situations. Response, the next phase of disaster management, includes the action of responding to an emergency. It aims to provide immediate emergency support to a community to maintain health, safety and morale until a permanent solution can be put in place. The steps involved in response phase are situation analysis, crisis maps, information communication, evacuation and shelters, dispatching of resources and early damage assessment. Besides, trained and equipped personnel are required to deal with an emerging crisis. Recovery, finally, is the process of returning to normal. Recovery phase may be short-term as well as long-term, and it begins after the disaster commences. Reco-very phase is overlapped by reconstruction, rehabilitation; spatial planning, infrastructure building, housing, livelihood, social security, transport, clean drinking water, communication and agriculture. Previously, Pakistan has fallen victim to disasters many a time. The earthquake-2005, Hunza landslides and Floods 2010 are some of the incidents. The available data suggests that Pakistan suffered heavily at the hands of these disasters owing to the lack of efficient disaster management. Recently, the spate of

Role of Public Health Personnel and Nurses in Disaster Management

Disaster is anything that can occur causing damages, an ecological disruption and deterioration of health and the health services. Disaster can be manmade or natural disasters such as floods. When disasters like flooding or tornadoes that may be accompanied by floods occur, the public health personnel and public health nurses are normally the first people who respond to the emergency, given that they are the people who understand and know the available resources used in providing first aids to the affected victims.

Hat1 Task 4

Tragic events that cause damage to property and life may destroy the social, cultural and economic life of a community. Communities must be engaged in the various phases from prevention to recovery to build disaster resilient communities. In order to do this, there must be a disaster preparedness plan in place that involves multiple people in various roles.

Role of Nurses During the Hurricane Sandy Disaster

Effective disaster management is highly important when it comes to assisting in rescue and relief to affected. This does not only include post disaster rescue efforts but these disaster management activities should be proactive. They start right from taking preventive measures before the disaster actually occurs and goes on till the effected people are resettled back in their lives. This disaster management pertaining to human life is not only associated with physical well being but also focuses on psychological, emotional, and spiritual rehabilitation.

What Are the Characteristics of a Population for Which a Mean/Median/Mode Would Be Appropriate? Inappropriate

Editor’s Note: This Chapter is the continuation of an adaptation of a state plan for disaster preparation and response. In total, the original chapter comprises Chapters 1, 14, 16-18.

South Amboy Recovery Case Study

Natural and man-made disasters have increased in the past decade, and due to these changes, Emergency Managers had to make drastic changes in order to improve the way first responders operate in a disaster area.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency

Each disaster response should start at the local or state level, and then depending on the magnitude it may grow to the response level only the federal government can provide. The initial response to an emergency by the state should deal with the emergency needs of the public. The State’s responsibility will be to focus around control of communication procedures; warning of the upcoming emergency if possible, providing public information, any information regarding evacuations and shelter (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 1996). Beyond controlling communication, the state will also be responsible to alert and dispatch the required emergency response teams to engage in protection of people and their property, and if needed a request for aid from the Federal Government (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 1996).

Incident Response Plan And A Disaster Recovery

Additionally, the preparation phase covers all fundamentals of an incident response plan, reports interaction among basics, and increases to emergency response planning at some point in the life of an incident in order to develop the necessary trust relationships that will be fully exercised during the stress of a real crisis. According to Whitman (2012) “The Disaster Recovery Plan Similar in structure to the IR plan, the DR plan provides detailed guidance in the event of a disaster. It is organized by the type or nature of the disaster, and specifies recovery procedures during and after each type of disaster. It also provides details on the roles and responsibilities of the people involved in the disaster recovery effort, and identifies the personnel and agencies that must be notified. Just as the IR plan must be tested, so must the DR plan, using the same testing mechanisms.” (P. 231). Many of the same principles of incident response apply to disaster recovery such as fundamentals must be clearly established, roles and responsibilities must be visibly outlined, someone must initiate the alert schedule and notify key personnel, someone must have the responsibility of the documentation of the disaster and only if it is possible, attempts must be made to moderate the impact of the disaster on the operations of the organization.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Thus, in emergency management, to enhance the agency’s vision, changes may arise from policies and procedures, technology advancement, and equipment, shift in priorities, increase on mitigation and prevention measures, and methodologies among many others. This therefore demands that leadership in the emergency management must possess the ability to lead changes as requires since emergency management itself has to do with prepared for and responding to disasters or crisis that take place often with little to no warnings with the expectation to respond with adequate preparation. Hence, the emergency management employees and the leadership who want to be successful in dealing with disasters must learn to respond swiftly and effectively to changes; “an effective leader is able to motivate and inspire others to embrace change” (FEMA, 2005, p.

Federal, State, And Local Roles Of Emergency Management

An emergency is a severe, sudden and sometimes risky circumstances requiring urgent action (Salman Sawalha, 2014). Escalation of an emergency situation can lead to disaster; which is an unusual event that can cause lost of life and property (Salman Sawalha, 2014). International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRRCS) define disaster as “unexpected devastating events that disrupts the operations of a population or public which leads to huge losses and overwhelmed the affected community 's ability to respond to the situation with the resources they have at hand”. There are two main types of disaster that can lead to emergency situations; these include natural and man-made disasters.

Emergency Management Challenges Today's Modern Society

The burden of emergency management has grown great deal in the last few decades. We have seen an increase in natural disasters, a new threat of terrorism on our front door and an increase in manmade disasters. All of these have tested emergency management in a number of cities and towns across the nation. It is not always disasters that present problems for emergency managers. We have to look beyond our traditional view of emergency management of helping us during times of disasters and view what issues they consider may affect their emergency response. Issues that emergency management see that are moving into the critical area are issues of urbanization and hazard exposure, the rising costs of disaster recovery, and low priority of emergency management.

Critical Assumptions in Emergencies

Communication is widely regarded as one of the most essential elements in successfully managing an emergency situation. The dissemination of information, which is both timely as well as accurate, to the parties concerned goes a long way to lend a hand in ensuring that the recovery activities in an emergency situation, together with its management takes place effectively. For that reason, five critical assumptions are used to provide the basis of disaster management strategy.

Full Life Cycle Of Emergency Management

Disasters are incidents or accidents that are disruptive, tragic, and in many instances result in deadly and injurious events. Emergency management seek to apply science and technology, planning and management to deal with disasters that can result into death or injury of several people and destruction of property within the community, state, and the nation. Emergency management make effort to eliminate or at least lessen the number of losses and cost through execution of strategies that reflect full life cycle of any disaster management (Sylves, 2015). Below is the brief historical information of emergency management.

Specific measures taken before disasters strike, to ensure effective response constitute preparation. This phase may include specific contingency planning, emergency exercises, training, installation and use of warning systems.

Essay about Emergency Preparedness

Risk for disasters is a part of life; emergency situations occur more frequently than many people believe. A wise person plans for the worse, and hopes for the best. After a disaster, how well a community can recover will depend largely on how well they prepared in advance. Risk management includes identifying any potential risks to a community and proactively planning to minimize the threat. Proactive organization of resources and people to respond to emergencies can mean the difference between a community’s ability to regroup and recover, and the loss of life. To better

Disaster Management : Preparedness, Response, Recovery, And Mitigation

On August 29, 2009, Hurricane Katrina struck the United States Gulf Coast. It was a Category 3 Hurricane, according to the Saffir Simpson Scale. Winds gusted to up to 140 miles per hour, and the hurricane was almost 400 miles wide . The storm itself did a tremendous amount of damage, but the storm’s aftermath was cataclysmic. Many claimed that the federal government was slow to meet the needs of the hundreds of thousands of people affected by the storm. This paper will examine the four elements of disaster management – preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation – as well as an analysis on the data presented.

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• Emergency management

Disaster Management in Pakistan

On 26th October this year, thirty six trapped Chilean mine workers were rescued by drilling a deep hole into the mine. A month later, twenty nine mine workers in Newzeland died after remaining trapped for days in a mine. Poor disaster management cost precious lives. In Pakistan, too, Disaster management is not up to the mark. Be it the devastating earthquake, the catastrophic floods, the outbreak of fires or the aftermath of bomb blasts, the management was very poor.

Certain measures like National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), and Rescue 1122 were taken but none has borne fruit yet. Lack of funds, scarcity of men and machinery, lack of awareness and preparedness of general public, hard demography, negative role of media, and delocalization of disaster management centers has added to the calamity of disasters. A realistic approach, proper training to workers and public, localization of disaster management centers, public awareness programs and positive role of media must be ensured for the proper disaster management in Pakistan.

Until now almost every disaster has hit Pakistan but the required response is given to none. The October, 2008 earthquake in Northern areas of Pakistan is a grim reminder of the scale of disaster. Almost eighty thousand people died and many towns devastated. Though, no single government with limited resources can cope with such a calamity, yet our government’s response was much late in the hard hit areas. Timely and efficient response could have saved many lives.

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The recent floods of July-August have also seen the demonstration of poor disaster management in our country. Though, no country is prepared for such devastating floods, our government’s response could be much better. Instead of helping the people in the affected areas, our government set all their attention in appealing for aids to other countries and arranging conferences for the donor countries. The fire management is also much poor. Few months ago when fire broke out in a female hostel in Rawalpindi, the management did not have the ecessary tools to bring the situation under control. Moreover, the aftermath of bomb blasts also shows that our country is not prepared to cope with the disaster-like situation. One of the main cause of this pathetic situation of our disaster management is that the workers are not properly trained to cope with any disasters. In other countries, proper training is provided to the workers in one field to cope with that particular disaster. Unfortunately in Pakistan, the same workers are hired for every disaster to cope with.

Most of our disaster management organizations are not provided with sufficient staff and machinery. The workers are much less as compared to the scale of the disaster. Also, the workers do not have all the necessary equipments to deal a disaster. Moreover, the facilities like fast transport to the disaster point are also lacking. Our uneven demography also plays a big hurdle in efficient disaster management. Sometimes, the areas hit by a disaster are out of reach, thus, badly affecting the rescue activities. Hard demography also adds to the scale of a disaster.

Even a minor disaster results into a bigger loss of life and property because of the demography of our country. This was observed in the recent floods whose originating point was the northern areas and brought devastations in other parts of the country. Delocalization of disaster management units is another cause of poor disaster management in Pakistan. All the units are controlled from the federal or provincial capitals which may become a hurdle in dealing with a disaster in time. Unawareness and unpreparedness of the general public is also one of the reason for poor disaster management.

Our people do not know how to deal with a disaster when they are caught with. People, sometimes, use methods which may increase the scale of a disaster instead of controlling it. Also, most of the people are unprepared to deal with a sudden disaster which results into many losses. Lack of funds with the disaster management units is also a case of poor dealing with a disaster. The disaster management organizations do not have sufficient funds to buy the machinery necessary to deal with a disaster.

In order to deal effectively with any disaster in Pakistan, the government must provide proper training to workers. This is how they can deal with a disaster professionally. Moreover, the government should confer proper funds to disaster management units. All the disaster management units must be delocalized. Disaster management unit in Chitral must not be monitored from Islamabad or Peshawar. A local management body can effectively deal with a local disaster. Public training programs must be initiated so that the general public is aware how to deal with a disaster.

The youths must be trained in particular areas of disasters, like fire, flood, so that that can be called whenever such disaster emerges. Moreover, special television programs should be aired to aware the people how to deal with a disaster effectively. Disaster management plays a big role in a country like Pakistan where disasters are most frequent. Though, in the past much attention was not given to disaster management in the country, the government must implement the above mentioned suggestions in latter and spirit to cope well with any disaster in future.

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Disaster management in Pakistan

Pakistan's largest metropolis and economic hub, Karachi, surrounded by numerous tectonically active faults, is ill-equipped to cope with seismic hazards. The city is vulnerable mainly due to inadequate construction techniques, lack of awareness, political will and scant historical seismic data. The existing disaster management policies often remain ineffective or unimplemented due to technical or financial constraints, shortage of trained personnel and weak information-sharing mechanisms. This research identifies such challenges in Karachi and explores the global disaster risk reduction initiatives from better prepared countries, whose implementation feasibility is assessed based on local economic, social, topographical and political circumstances. Shortlisting five fundamental aspects of disaster risk reduction, a multi-prong strategy is devised, addressing Karachi's vulnerability and exposure to both urban communities and slums. An earthquake early warning system model using cell broadcast technology is formulated, proposing to supplement the existing upgradable seismic network in Pakistan. This and other priority measures constituting the proposed strategy present a customised pragmatic approach of shifting from an emergency response paradigm towards prevention, mitigation and preparedness.

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Pakistan’s floods are a disaster – but they didn’t have to be

Professor of Disasters and Health, UCL

Disclosure statement

Ilan Kelman receives funding from research councils in the UK and Norway, as well as from the Wellcome Trust and internal UCL funding. He is also Professor II at the University of Agder in Norway and co-directs the non-profit organisation Risk RED (Risk Reduction Education for Disasters).

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The devastating flooding affecting Pakistan has killed over 1,300 people, damaged over 1.7 million homes, and is disrupting food production. Over 33 million people have been affected so far.

The destruction caused by these so-called “natural disasters” is often accepted as largely unavoidable and unpredictable. Climate change is also blamed for the alleged increased frequency of disasters.

However, decades of research explain that disasters are instead caused by sources of vulnerability rather than by the climate or other environmental influences. Sources of vulnerability stem from a lack of power and resources to prepare for hazards. This includes poorly designed infrastructure along with social marginalisation and inequity, which restrict access to education and other key services.

A disaster is where the ability of people to cope with a hazard or its impacts by using their own resources is exceeded. Where resources are scarce or inadequate, a hazard often adversely affects people.

Consequently, framing a flood as a “natural disaster” deflects from the reality that vulnerability must exist before a crisis can emerge. The failure of governments to suitably prepare people for these hazards is a root cause of disaster. No matter the severity of the flooding event, a disaster can be avoided .

Vulnerability to floods remains high

Pakistan has been subject to regular flooding throughout history. This year’s flood is the country’s sixth since 1950 to kill over 1,000 people . These disasters have encouraged numerous attempts at flood risk management .

However, vulnerability towards flooding remains high . Many of the existing management measures may even have unintentionally worsened the effects of flooding. Poorly implemented urban development throughout Pakistan has further contributed by exacerbating surface runoff.

Structural measures have dominated flood risk management in Pakistan. This is despite research suggesting that a reliance on them can worsen the impact of flooding.

People tend to view engineered structures as being safe and protective . Presuming the infallibility of these structures, they adjust their livelihoods and lifestyles accordingly. When a large flood occurs and these structures are breached, the impacts of flooding are amplified.

In 2005, the Shadi Kaur dam in the southern province of Balochistan broke during heavy rains, claiming the lives of over 135 people . The current floods have damaged eight dams in the same region.

Pakistan’s focus on large scale infrastructure and response measures has led to a neglect for nonstructural risk reduction measures . Many people therefore have few options to address their vulnerability.

A 2016 study concluded that people in Pakistan’s Khyber Pukhthunkhwa province had little awareness of flood risks and how to prepare. Education and employment rates in the region remain low . A literacy rate of 57% greatly restricts access to information enabling risk reduction.

Many people continue to live on floodplains for agriculture and as a result remain highly vulnerable. Despite investment in warning systems , these serve little purpose if people are unaware of how to act or do not have the resources to do so.

Gender inequity remains prevalent across rural Pakistan . This makes women particularly vulnerable to flooding because they are more likely to face the issues related to employment and education highlighted above.

The extensive damage during this year’s flooding is therefore unsurprising. Khyber Pukthunkhwa has been badly inundated , forcing almost 70,000 people into temporary camps.

Addressing Pakistan’s vulnerability

Pakistan’s current flood management strategies do not adequately address vulnerability. While flood management is gradually shifting away from centralised and post-disaster measures , progress has been slow.

Pakistan needs to adopt a proactive approach to swiftly address the underlying causes of vulnerability. People need better access to information about flood risks as well as the resources to help them prepare. In the future, disasters will persist unless profound changes are made. This must include steps to ensure effective governance, to encourage safe land use and to guarantee full access to education.

Human activities are changing the climate with clear consequences on the weather . An extended period of high rainfall contributed to severe floods in Pakistan this year. However, the consequent catastrophe has been created by human actions .

The resources and techniques exist to avoid flood disasters in Pakistan. However, these resources have not been distributed effectively. While climate change influences the frequency of flooding, it does not create flood disasters. Where vulnerable people are placed at risk, a catastrophe follows.

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A Dilemma of Disaster Management in Pakistan

I. introduction.

Disaster management in Pakistan has been a major concern due to the country’s vulnerability to natural hazards. These hazards include floods, earthquakes, and cyclones. These disasters have caused significant damage to infrastructure, loss of lives, and displacement of people. Pakistan’s location in the Himalayas, the Indus River delta, and the Arabian Sea makes it susceptible to a wide range of natural hazards. The country’s history of natural disasters has been marked by high death tolls, large-scale displacement, and significant economic losses.

In recent years, Pakistan has experienced several major natural disasters, including the 2022 floods. These floods affected an estimated 33 million people and caused an estimated $14.9 billion in damages. Those killed 1,739 people . The 2005 earthquake in the northern regions of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir caused over 75,000 deaths and left 3.5 million people homeless. Moreover, the country also experiences regular cyclones, with the most recent being Cyclone Vayu in 2019 which affected over 300,000 people in the province of Balochistan.

The purpose of this essay is to examine the challenges of disaster management in Pakistan and the efforts being made to improve the situation.

Also Read: Problems of Industrial Sector in Pakistan and Way Forward

II. The challenges of disaster management in Pakistan

A. lack of resources and funding.

Pakistan’s economy is not strong enough to support the necessary resources and funding for disaster management. This has led to a lack of emergency equipment, training, and personnel. The government’s budget for disaster management is often inadequate, and there is a shortage of funding from international organizations.

For example , in the aftermath of the 2010 floods, the NDMA struggled to provide adequate relief to affected communities. The NDMA did not have enough emergency equipment, such as boats and tents, to respond effectively to the disaster. In addition, many of the relief camps set up for affected communities were overcrowded and lacked basic necessities such as food, water, and medical care.

B. Insufficient Infrastructure and Facilities

Many areas in Pakistan are prone to natural hazards but lack the necessary infrastructure and facilities to protect citizens and respond to disasters. This includes a lack of early warning systems, evacuation routes, and emergency shelters.

For example , in the coastal areas of Pakistan, there is a lack of infrastructure and facilities to protect citizens from cyclones and storms. Many of the communities in these areas are located in low-lying areas. It is making them particularly vulnerable to flooding and storm surges.

C. Limited Capacity of Local Government

Local government officials and communities often lack the capacity and expertise to respond effectively to disasters. This includes a lack of trained personnel and emergency response teams, as well as inadequate communication and coordination systems.

For example , during the 2010 floods in Pakistan, many local government officials were overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster. And, they lacked the capacity and expertise to respond effectively

D. Inadequate Communication and Coordination

Communication and coordination among government agencies, international organizations, and local communities are often inadequate, which can lead to confusion and slow response times during a disaster.

For example , during the 2005 earthquake in the northern regions of Pakistan, there was a lack of coordination among government agencies and international organizations. This led to confusion about who was responsible for providing aid and assistance to affected communities, which resulted in delays in the delivery of aid and resources.

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III. The Impact of Disasters on the Population

A. economic consequences.

Natural disasters can have severe economic consequences, including loss of income, damage to infrastructure, and disruption of trade and commerce. Disasters can cause damage to homes, businesses, and public infrastructure, leading to a loss of income for affected individuals and families. In addition, disasters can disrupt transportation, communication, and power systems, which can negatively impact the economy as a whole.

B. Loss of Lives and Displacement of People

Natural disasters can result in the loss of lives and displacement of people, particularly among vulnerable populations such as children, women, and the elderly. Disasters can also cause severe injuries, which can lead to long-term health problems and disability.

C. Psychological and Emotional Trauma

Disasters can also cause psychological and emotional trauma, especially for those who have lost loved ones or their homes. Trauma can manifest in various forms such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

D. Environmental Degradation

Natural disasters can also result in environmental degradation, such as soil erosion, deforestation, and water pollution. Disasters can cause the destruction of wildlife habitats, destruction of natural resources, and damage to ecosystems, which can have long-term effects on the environment.

Also Read: Women’s Status in Pakistan

IV. Efforts being made to Improve Disaster Management in Pakistan

A. national disaster management authority (ndma).

responsible for disaster management in Pakistan. It was established in 2005 under the National Disaster Management Act, of 2010. The NDMA is responsible for developing and implementing disaster management policies, plans, and guidelines, and for coordinating the activities of government agencies and international organizations involved in disaster management.

The NDMA has several departments . It includes the Disaster Management and Mitigation Department, the Emergency Management and Relief Department, and the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department. The NDMA also has a National Emergency Operations Center ( NEOC ) that is responsible for monitoring and responding to disasters.

B. International Aid and Assistance

Pakistan receives aid and assistance from international organizations, such as the United Nations and the World Bank, to help improve disaster management. International organizations provide funding, resources, and expertise to help Pakistan improve its disaster management capabilities.

C. Community-based Disaster Management

Community-based disaster management is becoming increasingly popular in Pakistan. It is because it involves local communities in disaster management efforts and improves their capacity to respond to disasters. Community-based disaster management includes training and education programs, drills, and early warning systems to help communities prepare for and respond to disasters.

D. Use of Technology and Innovation

Pakistan is also using technology and innovation to improve disaster management, including the use of satellite imagery, early warning systems, and mobile apps for disaster response. These tools can help improve the speed and accuracy of disaster response, as well as the overall effectiveness of disaster management efforts.

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V. Conclusion

In conclusion, disaster management in Pakistan is a complex issue that requires a comprehensive approach. Despite the efforts of the government, local communities, and international organizations, challenges such as lack of resources, insufficient infrastructure, and limited capacity of local government remain. However, continued improvement and collaboration among all stakeholders can help mitigate the impact of natural disasters and improve the overall disaster management situation in Pakistan.

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Natural Disasters and The Role of Natural Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)

• Zaineb Azam
• October 26, 2021
• CSS , Css Essays , CSS Solved Pakistan Affairs , PMS , PMS Essays
• 39447 Views

Disaster Management in Pakistan | Natural Disasters and The Role of Natural Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) | Best for CSS, PMS Essay

Table of content:

Introduction

• What are disasters and their different types?

What are disaster management and the process of disaster management?

• Disaster Management in Pakistan
• Effects of poor response management of disaster
• Causes of weak disaster management in the country
• Recommendations

The geographical history of the world has witnessed many disasters since its inception. Disasters are wreaking havoc on the entire world. It has threatened the peace of the globe and gobbling up the very existence of the world. Whereas, there are different types of disasters, mainly natural and man-made. Moreover, natural disasters are unavoidable. These may take the form of floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, drought, pandemics, etc. However, with the advancement in research and technology, some methods have been developed to reduce the severity of the damage caused by these catastrophes. Furthermore, disaster management is the only possible way forward in this regard. Today, no country is immune from these disasters. It is affecting developed and developing countries alike. However, some states are considered more vulnerable to natural calamities due to specific features, e.g. weather patterns, location, and attitude. Due to its geographical position, Pakistan is considered among the list of countries at higher risk of catastrophe. The government is expensing disasters in the form of floods and earthquakes. Unfortunately, floods are an almost annual event in this country. The country has lost thousands of precious lives and billions of rupees at the hands of disasters. These kinds of disasters let the country realize how poorly equipped and empty-handed she was. Therefore, the impacts of the lack of disaster management are far-reaching and diabolic. Annuls of disasters history in the country shows the clear picture to make it clear that the country constantly remained in danger of facing disasters. Moreover, it is necessary to devise a strategy to cope with such disasters. Keeping this in view, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) tries to minimize the harm and restore people to a normal state. Additionally, the successive government kept this fact in mind and tried to counter this menace. Here, the light will be thrown on explaining disasters, their types, disaster management, and its process—furthermore, the disaster situation in Pakistan, its impacts, causes, and the way forward. 

What are disasters and their types?

(V ulnerability + Hazard) / Capacity = Disaster

A disaster is a sudden, calamitous event. It can also be defined as, “A catastrophe, or a calamity in an affected area, arising from a natural and or manmade cause, or by accident which results in a substantial loss of life or human suffering, and destruction of property.” Moreover, The United Nations defines a disaster as “A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community to cope using its own resources.”

Here, it can be said that:

• Disaster means a catastrophe, or calamity affected area or a serious disruption
• Its causes are both natural and man-made
• Its impacts are catastrophic; such as human losses, economic, environmental, property damage and psychological

Types of Disasters:

There are four main types of disaster;

• Natural disasters Geophysical
• Earthquakes
• Volcanic Activity
• Hydrological
• Climatologically
• Extreme Temperatures
• Drought and Wildfires
• Meteorological
• Wave Surges
• Disease Epidemics
• Insect / Animal Plagues
• Man-Made Disasters
• Environmental Degradation
• Complex Emergencies
• Food Insecurity
• Armed Conflicts
• Displaced Population
• Loss of Life
• Widespread Damage to both Societies and Economies
• Pandemic Emergencies
• Dengue Fever
• Yellow Fever

Disaster management starts with strategic and organizational management, which aims to protect vital assets from hazard risks in any emergency. Furthermore, it means managing the complete disaster, avoiding injuries, and saving lives. Moreover, the process of disaster management includes;

• Mitigation:

The whole process starts with mitigation. It eliminates and reduces the probability of disaster occurrence. It may also reduce the effects of unavoidable disasters. Furthermore, mitigation measures include building codes, vulnerability analyses, safety codes, preventive healthcare, and public education.

• Preparedness

Preparedness is nothing but a satisfactory level of readiness to respond to any emergency, with the help of programs that strengthen the technical and managerial capacity of communities, organizations, and governments. It includes logistical readiness and developing long and short term strategies, ensuring public education and awareness. It also ensures the reserves of food, water, medicine, and equipment to respond quickly in case of an emergency.

The third step of the disaster management process is quick response. It provides immediate assistance to maintain life, improve health, and support the morale of the affected population. Therefore, the immediate concern of the response phase is to meet the basic needs of the people until a sustainable and permanent solution can be found.

The process of recovery begins after the emergency is brought under control. A recovery activity includes providing the affected populace with temporary housing, health facilities, and education in a broader context. This activity continues until the circumstances return to normality.

• Reconstruction

It includes repairing the damages to public and private properties, infrastructure and undoing all the disaster effects. Therefore, it is the last phase of the disaster management process; it can be taken as the first step. Moreover, all the necessary preparatory measures are adopted to provide safety against any future disasters.

Disaster Management in Pakistan:

Floods are almost annual events in the country. However, this is not a matter of concern every year, but when the normal flooding level is exceeded, it results in colossal damage, e.g. floods in 2010 and 2014 caused serious harm to people of the country. In the same way, the earthquake in 2005 and the recent drought in Thar claimed many lives. In the contemporary world, the Novel Coronavirus has claimed many lives. But, it is quite perturbing that no lesson has been learnt from history, especially in the context of floods. It’s not wrong to say that the annual monsoon is a natural phenomenon, but the flooding they cause is entirely preventable. Furthermore, the country has been hit hard by almost 21 major floods since its inception. All of these massive floods caused severe human, financial, and infrastructure losses in the country.

Effects of poor response management of disaster:

Unfortunately, Pakistan faced many problems, as discussed above, because of natural disasters. Here, some of the major impacts will be highlighted due to weaker disaster management. To begin with, basically, the actual disaster results in the second disaster. Moreover, it sends another wave of damage to people away from the original one. Like, the tsunami had caused a human loss, infrastructure loss etc. which is a direct impact. Furthermore, it also leads to the disturbance in the trade of fishing industries, which has directly resulted in lower wages and an increase in unemployment, especially for those associated with the fishing business. Therefore, it is surprising that sometimes, the second disaster proves more devastating than the actual one just because of its indirect repercussions.

Moreover, another adverse impact of this disaster is the severe setback to the economy of the country. Natural disasters like floods and earthquakes cost huge losses to the infrastructure and buildings. The cost for the repair of these infrastructures acts as an extra burden on the national exchequer. In the same fashion, the rehabilitation of the dispersed makes the issue more serious. Notwithstanding, the textile industry, which is considered the largest manufacturing industry in the country, is directly affected because of the losses caused by a disaster.

In addition to these, the outbreak of the virus, such as COVID-19 and more diseases, further aggravates the situation. Many people have to suffer from fatal diseases, mainly because of the non-availability of clean drinking water, e.g. gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, and many more. Additionally, the eruption of cholera, skin diseases and asthmatic attacks are top of the list of these catastrophes. Therefore, all these diseases have serious impacts on human health.

Furthermore, the food crisis cannot be neglected in this regard. Millions of acres of agriculture may submerge underwater because of the flood as some crops are temperature sensitive and require some specific temperature for their cultivation and proper growth. Such crops are planted and cultivated at a particular time. If this timing is disturbed because of a disaster, a country has to face scarcity of food.   

Lastly, psychological damage to the people is also a serious impact of this menace. As many people have to leave their homes in case of a disaster. Furthermore, their socio-economic fabric has also been disturbed along with health and education. These are some of the basic reasons that they face a sense of deprivation. Over and above, these jobless, socially and morally deprived youngsters of affected areas are easy prey to militant recruitment and criminal activities.

Causes of weak disaster management in the country:

After discussing some of the impacts of this menace, it is important to discuss the main causes of the disasters and their management. Here, some light will also be thrown on those factors which played their part in the inefficient role of its management apparatus. Above all, the negligence of the government is mainly responsible for this situation. The budget which is allocated for the NDMA is insufficient to fulfil its needs, as the country has to experience frequent floods due to climatic and ecological conditions. The other main responsibility of the government is to recognize the major vulnerable areas according to the geographical location, which the government is not following standards. Unfortunately, the government never made these issues a priority. That’s why there is a lack of accountability and decision making because of the less vigilant role of the government towards disasters.  

Importantly, the construction of small and big dams is the need of the hour to counter this menace. But the government does not seem to be much serious about it. Lack of political will and political instability is the root cause owing to this. The Sindh River is the biggest in water flow, but its water never generates floods because of the “Terbela dam”. Kalabagh Dam is a live example of political instability. If the dam has been constructed on time, the country could save the lives of the people and other impacts of this menace.

In addition to these, global warming is another main factor of floods and an uneven pattern of rains in the country. It is a fact that glaciers are being melted due to the increase in temperature of the globe, which results in heavy floods. Furthermore, Pakistan is situated in the Monsoon region that is the major reason for rainfall in summer. Likewise, industrial production and wildfire cannot be neglected in this context.

Despite the fact that all these causes have wreaked havoc in the country, apart from this, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is also responsible for the massive damage caused by the floods. Notwithstanding, flood is a slow onset disaster, it provides enough time to authorities to take precautionary measures in this regard. Therefore, the severity of the harm caused by the 2014 flood could be lessened, but due to lack of technical management and proper planning, the whole country had to bear the brunt of floods and heavy damages to life and property.

Recommendations:

It is true that disasters are natural, but the destruction caused by calamities can be mitigated as every problem has a solution. Here, some practicable measures will be brought under discussion, which may prove helpful to manage disasters more effectively and quickly. To begin with, the responsibility lies on the shoulder of the government. Therefore, more sums of the budget should be allocated for disaster management. In the same way, it should abridge the policy performance gap, such as the implication of the policies must be made certain. 

Similarly, it must also devise a plan to build new dams and do away with all the hurdles in its way.

In the same fashion, risk assessment is a significant factor in decreasing the instance of a disaster. Moreover, quantitative and qualitative understanding of geographical location and probability of hazard in very crucial in this regard. That can be done by involving governmental and technical working groups and including scientists so that their mutual effort can provide an error-free assessment of the most vulnerable region.

Most importantly, media can also play a vital role in making the masses aware of the advantages of dams. Presently, it can highlight the benefits of the Kalabagh dam, which is a matter of serious concern since its inception. As media is considered a fourth pillar of the state, it can also play a major role in the check and balance system of the government—specifically, the performance of the government with respect to the planning and management for the disaster.

Likewise, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) education is also much important for reducing potential hazards. Furthermore, capacity building at a community level can help in creating awareness about DRR. Moreover, active participation of community-level and civil society can prove much effective in this regard. Anyhow, it can also be done by introducing DRR into the curriculum of educational institutions, such as engineering, architecture, environmental and social science and many more.

Conclusion:

As it is rightly said that a stitch in time saves nine, in the same way, timely and proper disaster management is a blessing for a country. It is a matter that climate change is casting its evil eyes on the whole world. No country is immune from natural disasters. Pakistan is one of the worst-hit countries owing to natural disasters because of its geographical location. Therefore, it is important to carry out comprehensive research on risk factors to save people from socio, economic, and moral fabric. However, if proper measures are not taken in this regard, the nation’s future can be darker. Moreover, all tiers of disaster management authorities play a leading role in mitigating the devastating effects of this menace. But there is still enough to be done in this regard. Losing hope is not a solution to any problem. It is the need of the hour to understand the importance of implementation of disaster risk reduction policy in letter and spirit. The factors mentioned above for mitigating the devastating impacts of this menace can help create and utilise the knowledge in the best possible manner. Therefore, serious efforts by the concerned austerities can nip this evil in the bud.

About the Author

Zaineb Azam is a government officer. She has been one of those CSS aspirants who scored the highest (78 marks) in Pakistan affairs. Moreover, she has been a known content writing coach in Pakistan, especially for females. She teaches girls how to start blogging, content writing, and copywriting and helps her become an online content creator to start earning online. Besides, She has been providing guidance to CSS and PMS aspirants about the preparation strategies.

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Asian development bank and pakistan: fact sheet (march 2024), attachments.

The devastating floods in 2022, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, security issues, structural risks, and adverse external shocks continue to pose major economic challenges to Pakistan. Guided by the Country Partnership Strategy, 2021–2025, ADB will continue supporting Pakistan in its post-flood reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts.

ADB operations remain aligned to Pakistan’s evolving economic and development priorities that include improving economic management, building resilience, boosting competitiveness, and private sector development.

Updated yearly, this ADB Fact Sheet provides concise information on ADB's operations in the country and contact information.

Pakistan is a founding member of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). ADB has been helping the country reduce poverty and increase resilience and prosperity by supporting investments in key sectors and services. ADB operations remain aligned to Pakistan’s evolving economic and development priorities.

ADB’s country partnership strategy, 2021–2025, for Pakistan focuses on three priorities—improving economic management, building resilience, and boosting competitiveness and private sector development.

To date, ADB has committed 740 public sector loans, grants, and technical assistance totaling $39.7 billion to Pakistan. Cumulative loan and grant disbursements to Pakistan amount to $30.76 billion. These were financed by regular and concessional ordinary capital resources , the Asian Development Fund , and other special funds. ADB’s ongoing sovereign portfolio in Pakistan includes 53 loans and 3 grants worth $9.59 billion.

In 2022, ADB’s loan and grant disbursements to Pakistan amounted to $2.49 billion. This includes $1.8 billion in program lending, $680 million from project lending, and $4.6 million from grants.

ADB provided $1.5 billion to help Pakistan boost social protection, promote food security, and support employment for people.

The Building Resilience with Active Countercyclical Expenditure (BRACE) Program is designed to protect the poorest families, promote gender empowerment, and enable climate adaptation while cushioning the impacts of external shocks.

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