Prolonged dry spell may cause water scarcity, warns NDMA

ISLAMABAD: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Friday furnished a comprehensive report on the drought-like situation in Sindh to the President Secretariat and Prime Minister’s Office.

The report, which has also been shared with the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Sindh and other stakeholders for necessary action, lists measures to alleviate sufferings of people in the drought-stricken areas of the province.

The NDMA in coordination with NADRA compiled and provided data about families affected by the drought to the PDMA and provincial relief department, enabling them to effectively distribute assistance packages among them.

It also sought suggestions from the PDMA about additional relief assistance, if any, was required from the federal government. To alleviate the hardships and miseries of the affected people, Recovery & Rehabilitation Directorate, of NDMA acts as “Drought Secretariat” to ensure timely, coordinated and smooth flow of information between all stakeholders.

Last month, the NDMA in collaboration with PDMA Sindh, UNFPA and UNICEF conducted a one-day seminar in Karachi to analyse the current drought like situation in eight districts particularly the Tharparkar.

The aim was to focus and plan short-term and long-term sustainable remedial measures to mitigate the sufferings of the drought affectees. Participants of the Consultative Seminar discussed in detail availability of water for human consumption/agriculture and livestock. The issue of adverse impacts of drought on  livelihood and resultant migration were also discussed. The impacts of drought on health of pregnant/lactating women and causes of child mortality were also discussed.

The NDMA report warrants an immediate and proactive action to cope up with the drought situation in Sindh and parts of Balochistan which may get severe in the coming days due to prolonged dry spell predicted in many parts of the country.

It is feared that prolonged dry spell may cause water stress in the cultivated lands/areas of the country due to limited supply of irrigation water for Kharif crops and may also aggravate the existing drought like conditions.

The NDMA has planned a National Consultative Seminar in the second week of December at Islamabad to discuss intensity and extent of drought situation across Pakistan. The purpose is to formulate a comprehensive national strategy to effectively mitigate the adverse effects of drought.

It has sought sector-wise consolidated situation report as well as recommendations for future course of action from PDMAs/ DDMAs/ and Line Departments of the district facing drought like situation.