Parliamentary committee expresses concern regarding climate risks and inadequate disaster management systems.
Today, the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Climate Change convened to address critical matters, including climate change, flood risks, and glacier melting throughout Pakistan.
Committee members and officials from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) attended the session.
Committee member Sahibzada Sibghatullah articulated significant apprehensions regarding the efficacy of the early warning system, stating, “The reality on the ground is that the early warning system that has been developed has proven ineffective.” He stated that a bridge in his constituency was destroyed by recent floods, yet no definitive measures have been implemented for its repair. He emphasized that disaster management is not exclusively a provincial concern and that the NDMA must also execute its obligations, particularly in critical situations.
In addressing the concerns, the NDMA Chairman clarified that although the majority of disaster-related issues are under provincial authority, the NDMA intervenes when circumstances intensify.
He underscored the necessity to enhance the capabilities of District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs), given their present limitations.
The NDMA Chairman cautioned that inadequate sanitation in urban regions is exacerbating urban flooding. He implored provincial governments to prohibit human habitation along riverbanks and natural waterways.
In a briefing on glacier monitoring, NDMA officials apprised the committee that the authority is closely observing through the Global Glacier Monitoring Portal. Their observations indicate that glacier melting has persisted for several years, resulting in escalating risks of water scarcity and flooding in the future.
The NDMA Chairman emphasized that the agency possesses a state-of-the-art control room, drones, and other sophisticated technologies capable of transporting up to 100 kilograms of supplies. He also observed that NDMA executes emergency drills in conjunction with other agencies and disseminates all pertinent information to provincial disaster authorities.
He cautioned that Pakistan is swiftly depleting its forest cover, thereby intensifying climate-related hazards. Although the NDMA provides early warnings up to six months prior, he emphasized that without effective implementation at the grassroots level, these warnings will not yield significant outcomes.
The meeting was also apprised that additional rainfall is anticipated in late July for Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Upper Punjab, and pertinent institutions have been instructed to maintain heightened vigilance.
