Resilient Pakistan is the only way of survival against natural disasters and climate change. In Pakistan, we face catastrophic natural disasters every year. However, we are still striving to bring improvements in all phases of disaster risk management, and the government's response is often questioned due to financial constraints. This is to highlight the significance of the National Disaster Management Plan of Pakistan (2012–2022), which appears to have been overlooked by key stakeholders in policy and decision-making.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of Pakistan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) worked together to develop the legal and administrative system of disaster risk management (DRM) in Pakistan. This plan was the outcome of the strong bilateral relations between Japan and Pakistan in 2008–2009, executed by JICA and NDMA, and completed successfully in June 2012.
The National Disaster Management Plan of Pakistan is a key document to understand the nature and types of on-ground challenges. It comprises four distinct volumes: a primary document of the NDMP, the Multi-Hazard Early Warning System, the Human Resource Development Plan, and the Community-Based Disaster Risk Management, with an estimated cost of 92.02 billion rupees. The NDMP presents ten key interventions to strengthen the complete disaster management system of Pakistan, highlighting the roles and responsibilities of federal and provincial agencies during all phases of DRM for all kinds of natural and man-made disasters.
According to the plan, there are 30 most vulnerable districts across Pakistan prone to flooding, earthquakes, landslides, glacial lake outburst floods, tsunamis, cyclones, and droughts. JICA has developed hazard maps of all such disasters to provide a better understanding of Pakistan's disaster context and has provided clear guidelines to ensure an “anticipatory action” to mitigate all kinds of hazards. The NDMP provided sufficient guidelines to develop operational plans, enabling the creation of specialised and actionable strategies for risk reduction and response. This plan addressed all phases of DRM, marking a strategic shift in approach from “reactive to proactive”, including mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction (DRR).
Preemption is always better than prevention; in disaster management, it is a fundamental approach to reduce the impact. When we talk about “anticipatory action,” it is an action based on forecasting before anything happens. Currently, NDMA is developing the “Pakistan Anticipatory Action Strategy,” which involves a series of consultation workshops across the country. However, in my opinion, a gap exists between theory and practice, given that all aspects of this strategy have already been defined in NDMP (2012–2022).
Preparedness planning and action are the core of NDMP, clearly outlining the action plans of all relevant departments in the event of an emergency
The pillars described in the proposed plan include hazard forecasting and risk analysis, preparedness planning and action, pre-arranged financing and delivery mechanisms, and coordination, governance, and collaboration. Hazard forecasting is associated with the Early Warning System, and NDMP allocated 16.66 billion rupees in the MHEWS plan to strengthen the infrastructure. Disaster types and a few hazard maps are already present in NDMP, and it also defines the linkages from the national to the local level, including the roles and responsibilities of relevant organisations.
The change in global climate and the increasing severity of natural disasters compelled Pakistan to realign its national priorities, upgrade existing infrastructure, improve early warning systems, and strengthen its people's capacity. Preparedness planning and action are the core of NDMP, clearly outlining the action plans of all relevant departments in the event of an emergency. The issue of pre-arranged financing and delivery mechanisms is also addressed in NDMP, which states that the Federal and Provincial governments will establish Disaster Management Funds on their own, along with logistics and delivery mechanisms for the complete DRM cycle.
Moreover, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) was established in 2019 to manage the full disaster management cycle and coordinate the Federal government's emergency response to all kinds of disasters. In this scenario, formulating new strategies from scratch raises many questions about the implementation of NDMP (2012–2022), which, in its actual spirit, is a remarkable document worth millions of dollars. Have any studies been conducted to review the strategies and interventions implemented on the ground according to the original plan? If not, then what have we accomplished in the last two decades?
There is a systematic solution to address all the evolving issues, and it lies with the evolution of the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) as an academic institution. In this regard, the role of research and development is vital, and it can be effectively carried out by leveraging the platform of the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), which currently operates under the umbrella of NDMA.
Currently, the institute's role is focused on capacity building within government departments and initiating programmes for community capacity building in collaboration with other government agencies and organisations. To address the emerging challenges posed by disasters and climate change, upgrading NIDM into a formal academic institution and introducing degree programmes in disaster management, climate change, urban planning, and related fields could be a feasible solution.
The academia can provide substantial support based on scientific and up-to-date knowledge in preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery. The academic studies of previous disasters or climate change may help to mitigate upcoming hardships, and NIDM would serve as an excellent platform for research scholars to study existing and future challenges in this evolving landscape. Implementation of NDMP 2012 is a roadmap and the best way to build a resilient Pakistan.