Improved risk management vital to encounter natural calamities: NDMA

Chairman, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Dr Zafar Iqbal, said improvements in risk management and emergency response is vital to minimise the destruction caused by natural disasters. He was addressing the seminar on "Disaster Management" with special emphasis on the "Future Role of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in Pakistan", arranged by Department of Governance and Organisational Sciences (G&OS) of National University of Modern Languages (NUML).
The Chairman NDMA said that disasters have struck in every corner of the globe, proving that no country is immune to their devastating effects. Though, the government of a country is a major stakeholder for responding any disaster in the country and then rescuing common people from the effects of risk, general population can play a vital role in assisting the government functionaries for a quick and better management of any emergency, he said.
Dr Javed said educational institutions and universities can educate and train youth about disaster management issues, the latest trends of disaster management, encourage dialogue about mitigating risk, dealing a crises situation, and concept of 'building back better' in natural disaster.
The skilled, educated and informed students can be the active member of the authority and guide other to act independently till the time relief and disaster management teams get ready to response any calamity, he added. Moreover, he briefed the students about the institutional framework, functions, mission, future of the authority and its short and long term plan to lesson the impacts of any future disaster.
The authority is also working on the areas that include risk assessment, early warning systems, education, information and public awareness, reducing underlying risk factors, and preparedness for effective response. At the end questions and answers session was held in which students of G&OS asked questions from Chairman NDMA. Head of G&OS Department, Major General Usman Shah (Retd) expressed his gratitude to Chairman NDMA for sparing time for students and presented a university shield to the guest. Deans and heads of different departments of the university and a great number of the students also attended the seminar.