City Reporter
National Disaster Management Authority organized a second parliamentarian caucus in collaboration with the Ministry of National Food Security & Research, Ministry of Climate Change on disaster risk management, and its humanitarian partner International Rescue Committee (IRC), in Pakistan.
The caucus aimed to highlight the role of parliamentarians in disaster management and stimulate understanding and develop a conversation on a variety of topics including catastrophe risk management, international frameworks, gender equality, and child protection.
Lt Gen Akhtar Nawaz, Chairman of the NDMA, welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of parliamentarians in disaster risk management in his opening remarks. “People of Pakistan have always faced disasters with courage and resilience.
We need national resolve, political commitment, and institutional determination to make the country resilient, build the capacity of departments like NDMA and its humanitarian partner IRC and make Pakistan a disaster-resilient country”, he added.
Chief Guest Syed Fakher Imam on the occasion, lauded the collaborated efforts of NDMA and its humanitarian partner IRC for creating a platform for parliamentarians to initiate a dialogue on disaster risk management.
The federal minister said that “Climate change and natural calamities result in disasters and their impact becomes an acute threat to sustainable development and peaceful co-existence, if we fail to respond to these challenges with an understanding and collectively as a mission”. He further added.
Hammad Azhar Minister Energy on the occasion expressed that “Since past two decades Pakistan has been facing various kinds of disasters.
Need of the hour was to have structured organizations like NDMA and its humanitarian partner.
Minister of State for Climate Change ZartajGul commended the initiative by IRC and NDMA and voiced on the Caucus that, “Climate change stands today as one of the most critical threats to global development and we must focus on long term goals.
The Ministry of climate change has successfully undertaken numerous initiatives for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
While appreciating the presence of parliamentarians she said that “I am confident after seeing this gathering here today, aiming to be aware and cautious for safe and resilient future of Pakistan that will enable the country to prepare in the face of any catastrophe.
