NDMA-ADPC launch resilience-building project in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) have jointly launched a sixteen-month project aimed at strengthening institutions for developing resilience in Pakistan.

Several senior government officials from NDMA, Federal Flood Commission, Ministry of Climate Change, Geological Survey of Pakistan, Meteorological Department, and Planning Commission on Thursday attended the first of an advanced disaster resilience training course in Islamabad to mark the official beginning of the project. A highly-level policy dialogue with development partners will also be organised this week.

The World Bank has provided the financial support under the EU-South Asia Capacity Building for Disaster Risk Management Program, which is administered by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery.

The Bank intends to facilitate a long-term disaster risk management (DRM) and climate change adaptation (CCA) capacity development investment in partnership with NDMA.

The current project is expected to engage with senior officials representing the federal and provincial governments on a range of activities including national trainings, policy dialogues, international trainings and exposure visits, and lessons-sharing workshops.

“NDMA welcomes this very timely support from the World Bank as it will significantly complement our ongoing capacity building efforts across Pakistan”, said Brig. Mukhtar Ahmed, Member Operations, NDMA.

“We believe the design of the project will allow government officials to learn both conceptual and practical elements of DRR and CCA in a more meaningful manner.”

As part of the capacity building program, ADPC would train senior government officers on advanced concepts of urban and fiscal resilience to disasters and climate impacts.

“We are partnering with NDMA and key stakeholders for improving Pakistan’s resilience to natural disasters”, said Haris Khan, senior Disaster Risk Management specialist of the World Bank in Pakistan.

“Building resilience to disaster and climate impacts is critical to ensure reduction in extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity in the country.”