News
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Zardari seeks int’l help in disaster management* President says devastation caused by climatic changes is a wake-up call to search permanent solutions to natural disasters
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari, on Friday, called upon the international community, especially the countries advanced in disaster management, to assist Pakistan in capacity building so that it could meet eventualities caused by natural calamities that could be recurring due to climate change.
Talking to Special Representative of UN Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlstrom, who called on him at the Presidency, Zardari thanked the United Nation’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for allocating amounts to help flood victims in Pakistan.
Margareta Wahlstrom was accompanied by UN Resident Coordinator in Pakistan Timo Pakkala, UNDP Pakistan Country Director Toshihiro Tanaka, Regional Programme Officer Mashavi Ariyabandu and Senior Regional Coordinator Dr German Velasquez. Secretary General to the President M Salman Faruqui, Adviser on Science and Technology Dr Ishfaq Ahmed Khan, Senator Syeda Sughra Imam, Senator Dr Babar Awan, MNA Sherry Rehman, MNA Asma Arbab Alamgir, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Dr Zafar Iqbal and other senior officials from Pakistan side participated in the meeting besides Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Farhatullah Babar said that the president said that Pakistan greatly appreciated the UN support, adding, “We look forward to active participation of the international community in UN-launched `Pakistan Floods 2011 Rapid Response Plan.”
The president said that devastation caused by erratic climatic changes was a wake-up call to search permanent solutions to the natural disasters. He said the situation called for enhanced cooperation between those who had expertise and advanced technology and those who were still struggling to cope with such emergency situations.
The president said that keeping in view erratic climatic changes, the government, in collaboration with the private sector and non-governmental organisations, was working on a number of steps, including educating people on dealing with situations caused by natural disasters.
However, the president said, the scope of government’s efforts remained limited mainly due to economic constraints and limitations of capacity. He said that Pakistan was vulnerable to a range of natural hazards and looked forward to the international community to assist it in capacity building and also in relief and rehabilitation efforts in devastated areas.
Discussing devastation caused by recent floods the president said that agriculture sector had suffered greatly and cash, food crops and livestock had been destroyed. “A large number of livestock heads are still at risk due to diseases as stagnated water recedes,” he added.
Zardari said that a devolved and decentralised system for disaster management was already in place and the provincial and district components of disaster management were working in the flood-affected areas. He said that NDMA was tasked to coordinate and monitor implementation of national policies and strategies on disaster management. “National Disaster Risk Management Framework has been formulated by NDMA to guide the working of disaster risk management in its entirety,” Zardari explained.
Margareta Wahlstrom expressed sympathies with the people of Pakistan over huge destruction caused by incessant rains and resulting floods, especially in Sindh. She assured that the United Nations would continue to assist flood-hit people by providing relief to them and rehabilitating them. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk