ISLAMABAD, Dec 20: The government has decided to establish national disaster commissions (NDCs) at provincial and district levels meant for saving the country from natural and nuclear disasters.
The decision came as a National Disaster Management Framework -- issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) here on Wednesday -- declared Pakistan vulnerable to risks from a range of natural hazards including earthquakes, droughts, floods, landslides, avalanches, cyclones, storms, tsunamis, glacial lake outbursts, river erosion, epidemics and pest attacks.
The human-induced hazards threatening the country include transport, industrial and nuclear accidents, oil spills, urban fires, civil conflicts and internal displacements of communities due to various factors.
The framework mentioned that having installed various nuclear facilities and nuclear power stations, Pakistan was also exposed to the risks of nuclear accidents. The Chernobyl disaster in Russia must serve as a reminder in this regard, it said.
The framework feared that the country’s ports in Karachi and Gwadar were at risk from marine accidents too. Similarly, transport accidents -- particularly those involving trains -- are a common phenomenon in Pakistan.
In line with the decision, disaster management authorities (DMAs) will also be established at provincial, district and municipal levels.
The NDMA will provide technical guideline to all national and provincial stakeholders about formulation of disaster risk reduction plans, strategies and programmes. It will also implement programmes on capacity building of national, provincial and local stakeholders, besides being responsible for facilitating coordination amongst multiple stakeholders to ensure collaborative approaches for disaster risk reduction.
The framework has been developed through a consultative process and with the active engagement of stakeholders from provincial and national levels from all relevant sectors and disciplines.
Under the framework, each provincial government will form a provincial disaster management commission (PDMC) which will be headed by the chief minister.
