Effectiveness of the Disaster Risk Management System in Pakistan

Disasters have created new policy requirements for global, regional, and local planning agencies and require effective national strategies, institutional frameworks, and legislation. Globally, disasters claim thousands of human casualties each year, and the number of disasters is expected to rise further as a result of climate change. Pakistan is no exception to this global trend; it is vulnerable to numerous natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, landslides, drought, tsunami, and extreme temperatures. However, the impact of such disasters can be minimized through systematic disaster risk reduction (DRR) approaches. This study analyzes the disaster management system, policies, and practices in Pakistan. The government of Pakistan recently approved the National Disaster Management Act (DMA) 2010, under which the National Disaster Management Authority was established to coordinate and manage DRR activities. In view of radical changes in institutional development, the government has also developed a national DRR policy and framework to address DRR effectively under the Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA). As HFA priority 1 focuses on disaster legislation, which provides the legal basis for other priority areas, this study analyzes Pakistan's legislation and policy framework for institutional development, community participation, and resource mobilization, as well as discussing how far these policies and legislations are instrumental in integrating DRR into existing plans and programs.