After the 2005 earthquake and 2010 flood devastation in the country, no capacity of National Disaster Management Authority and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities has been increased according to new trends’ of technology to cope with natural disasters. These types of departments have been created to mitigate natural disasters timely, furthermore, these types of departments are not playing an effective role during the time of crises. It seems like they were only created symbolically not for reducing the risk of disasters.

Nowadays there is a dire need for well-equipped disaster management departments to fight natural calamities. The provincial disaster management authorities can play a vital role equipped with the latest technology, ambulances and other heavy machinery for rapid response purposes at a district level.

Furthermore, the youth population of Pakistan can be trained during the time of peace for the preparedness of the worst situation in the country. Currently, civil defence departments are not functional in Pakistan so provincial disaster management authorities can provide training to the youth up to 8 weeks training at a district level with the help of the district administration to combat natural disasters. Below mentioned trainings may be provided to the volunterial youth to mitigate natural disasters timely:

1. Basic first-aid training

2. Basic firefighting training

3. Basic swimming training

4. Basic driving and road traffic signs training

5. Basic traffic controlling training

6. Basic training on establishing campsites

7. Basic cooking training

8. Basic Agricultural information training

List of all trained youth must be shared with all district administrations and the same may be maintained by all PDMAS at the provincial level. These types of trainings must be regulated as mandatory at the time of getting FSC level certificates from all educational boards of Pakistan.

Furthermore Pakistan possess 60% population of young people which is a good sign for the development of the country. We can also utilize trained youth population during the time of natural disasters. Provincial disaster management authorities must be revamped according to the current trends of technology linked with all stake holders. This includes heavy machinery, ambulances, risk analysis research centers, weather forecasting, district level data and lifesaving jackets .

There was also acute shortage of Humanitarian Response Facilities (HRF) in Pakistan during the 2005 earthquake and during the 2010 floods, there were no HRF facilities available to cope with the crises. However with the help of World Food Program from 2014 to 2019, eight HRF facilities have been established in all over Pakistan. Yet these facilities are not enough to meet the current requirements of Pakistan- it is important that Pakistan must establish more HRF facilities at least on the division level.

ABDUL KHALIQUE, PANHYAR,

Karachi.