National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Pakistan commenced its first ever national Expo on Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR 2023) at Pak China Friendship Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan on 16 August.

The moot aims at ushering a connectivity platform for all associated with Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Pakistan in one way or the other. The expo is being attended by all global partners in DRR, UN organizations, leading international and domestic NGOs, representatives from military responders, private sector and diplomatic communities linked with combined planning and articulation of comprehensive response.

NDMA has NDRMF (National Disaster Risk Management Fund) as partner in subject expo, which brings them on board to synergy-driven national spirit. 

Agenda advanced by NDMA in the expo through multi-forum discussions, sideline events, green talks, call on papers, national competitions of arts and graphics on DRR etc; focuses on the following key underpinnings:

DRR to generate required resonance, stable and sustained systems of effective disaster forecasting and warning, with centric capability elements of risk knowledge, risk monitoring and warning services, risk communication and response capability.

Being in eye of the disaster vulnerabilities for long enough, Pakistan needs interoperable cooperation with global partners and institutions with replicable and equivalently aligned forums.

People centric strategies on DRR will encompass collection of national institutions with requisite expertise on DRR in form of a national think tank (National Institute of Disaster Management-NIDM at NDMA) and indigenous capability to develop technology driven forecasting for impending National Emergencies and Disasters.

Pakistan also contributed immensely for major global reviews on DRR frameworks and implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Pakistan will craft indigenous National Development Goals (NDGs) in line with global DRR protocols.

Food and Energy security; solution lies in pre-planned charters. Domestic responders can work through national DRR for creating target production goals, keeping in view disaster impact losses and futuristic availability of land.

Global DRR financing fund needs to be established in line with UN DRR initiatives and financial modeling.

Investment protection through robust resilience and stable insurance is critical for DRR.Financing and think tanks inputs in strategic infrastructure should work in tandem.

Poverty needs often get overlapped in disasters needs. Tangible action plans are needed to refine SDGs attainability by all countries instead of success of select developed ones.

Clean and green energy access is driver of all enablers.

Pakistan’s model of devolved DRR works in synchronized way, with provincial and district levels, great scope expansion offers possibility of value additions; delivering blended response at all tiers.

High end collation and dissemination of global standard technical knowledge keeps all stakeholders and responders on board and enables smart national audit.

With all informed and woven into national preparedness grid, Pakistan would continue showcasing traditional resilience and resolve to withstand all potential disasters and emergencies.

God Speed Pakistan!