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Islamabad: A four-day training workshop organized jointly by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and World Bank on probabilistic risk modelling concluded here today.
The Workshop was organized to create awareness and to train the staff of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA),and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) including AJK, FATA and GB Disaster Management Authorities besides other technical agencies involved in disaster management on Probabilistic Risk Assessment , the Central American Probabilistic Risk Assessment (CAPRA), a tool which has been extensively used in the Latin American Region for identifying the risk to a country from various natural hazards.
The information obtained through the use of this tool can also be used by the private sector especially the insurance companies to determine the risk to different areas of the country from these hazards. This can also be used as a foundation for utilizing different risk financing instruments to reduce the burden on the national exchequer in times of disasters.
In his concluding remarks, the Chairman, NDMA, Dr. Zafar Iqbal Qadir, expressed that different options for risk financing were being explored and that the NDMA was working for devising a mechanism for Disaster Safety Net, introducing insurance of the communities particularly living in disaster prone areas.
From the World Bank, Mr. Francis Ghesquiere, Program Manager, Disaster Risk Management, South Asian Region appreciated the interest of the Government of Pakistan in undertaking risk assessment for the country and ensured continued support from the World Bank in this critical area.
In his concluding address, the Secretary Ministry of National Disaster Management thanked the World Bank for arranging this training for the professionals of NDMA, PDMAs and other technical agencies which would develop capacity of these entities in making informed decisions for disaster risk management. He advised NDMA to start working on this risk assessment model which had been tested successfully in a number of countries. This risk assessment would contribute towards improving resilience against disasters and improve the response by the Government in time of calamities. The Secretary informed that the NDMA was considering to establish National Hazard and Risk Assessment Network which would provide a forum for information sharing, avoiding duplication and synergize all activities being undertaken for hazard and risk assessment in the country and for that purpose relevant departments and agencies would be consulted.
In his closing statement, the Chairman NDMA expressed that it was the right moment for Pakistan to undertake a risk assessment of the country which would pave the way for utilizing safeguards facilities available to the country. He further added that this would reduce the dependence of the people on external sources and increase resilience not only of the country but of the people of Pakistan.
The training was provided by technical experts from Mexico where the CAPRA model has been successfully tested and implemented and several risk financing instruments used to minimize the impact of disasters on the national finances. Pakistan is the first country in the Region to benefit from this training.
The workshop was attended by representatives from public sector institutions including NDMA, PDMAs, SUPARCO, GSP, SECP and Ministry of Commerce and other relevant institutions from the private sector. At the end of the workshop participants were provided certificates for successful completion of the training.
For more information, contact:
Ahmed Kamal
Spokesperson
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
Tel: +9251 9215412
Cell: +92300 5278981 and +92331-5657779
Email: maf@ndma.gov.pk