The country’s strategic framework for development envisions a sustainable social, economic, and environmental development. It includes an emphasis on disaster risk management, the reduction of vulnerabilities and risks of marginalized groups, and effective response and recovery from disasters. The strategy allocates funds for disaster risk management in the annual development budget and partners with the international community to promote disaster risk reduction and resilience.
Lack of systematic approach to disaster risk reduction
Pakistan has long relied on a reactive approach to dealing with disasters. The Calamity Act, 1958, mainly dealt with emergency response and the Emergency Relief Cell of the Cabinet Secretariat was responsible for federal government disaster response. Unfortunately, disaster risk management and its benefits remain poorly understood by policy makers, media and civil society. Though some NGOs have implemented flood mitigation measures, a systematic approach to disaster risk reduction in Pakistan remains lacking.
This paper provides an historical-integrative analysis of Pakistan’s disaster management and highlights its shortcomings. The failure of disaster management policies in Pakistan is a function of a poor institutional framework and an inadequate focus on local disaster preparedness. In particular, the policies have relied too much on immediate response and have largely neglected long-term goals such as strategic planning and local institution empowerment.
In addition, the government has a top-down approach to disaster management. Its apex body, the National Disaster Management Commission, has not met in three years. Furthermore, there is no coherent and transparent mechanism to finance disaster risk reduction in Pakistan. This gap has hindered the development of disaster management policies in the country.
There is a lack of social inclusion, and women’s participation is hindered. The ministry’s gender representative coordinates issues related to disaster risk reduction. This office is responsible for registering and training volunteers. The Department of Civil Defence also recruits civilians to serve as Chief Wardens. Additionally, there are Divisional Wardens, Group Planners, and Post Wardens.
Gender inclusion has been a focus area for disaster risk management. The Sendai Framework aims to combat gender-based violence and social inclusion. In Pakistan, gender mainstreaming initiatives are a significant part of disaster management. Although gender inclusion efforts are limited, women’s union leaders are increasingly involved in disaster preparedness plans.
Inadequate technical, financial, and human resources
Pakistan is highly vulnerable to multiple natural and human-induced disasters. It has experienced some of the worst disasters in its history. Climate change has further increased the country’s vulnerability to hydro-meteorological disasters. Recent studies show that Pakistan has suffered about $18 billion in damages due to natural disasters over the past decade. According to the Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan is the eighth-most vulnerable country to climate change.
The HFA Mid-Term Review highlighted Pakistan’s lack of progress, in part due to insufficient technical, financial, and human resources. The lack of these resources has resulted in a significant gap between the country’s capacity to manage disasters. It is important to ensure that disaster risk assessment activities are implemented efficiently to protect the people and prevent further losses.
A lack of preparedness is a serious issue for all emergency response systems. Disaster preparedness is particularly vital in locales with high levels of insecurity. Although Pakistan is considered a high-risk location, there have been few studies that have assessed the country’s preparedness for crises. A PubMed search for disaster preparedness in Pakistan did not return any results.
Pakistan has ratified the Sendai and Hyogo frameworks and adopted a short-term early warning system based on SFDRR strategy. However, the strategy is not being implemented holistically at the national level. The government is also failing to provide adequate technical, financial, and human resources to support disaster risk assessment.
The government must build institutions and enhance the capacity of these institutions to effectively manage disasters. The National Disaster Risk Management Strategy calls for effective disaster risk reduction strategies. The government should focus on building institutional capacity to address the impacts of disasters and integrating DRM into national development policies.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is currently exploring the establishment of a National Disaster Insurance Fund. As the insurance regulator in Pakistan, the NDMA has the necessary expertise to establish such a fund. It also provides technical assistance to provincial authorities.
Lack of coherence in development policies
Pakistan is currently facing a lack of coherence in its development policies, disaster risk assessment, and planning process. Although the national sustainable development strategy recognizes the need to promote PC, there is no effective mechanism in place to maintain this consistency. For example, the water and agriculture sector policies are not in tune with the energy sector policy, while the national climate change adaptation and mitigation policy is not in tune with the country’s sectoral policies. Similarly, the CPEC Plan is not in line with the country’s sectoral policies, causing policy incoherence.
In Pakistan, climate change and other natural hazards pose a significant threat to the nation’s food security and water security. Climate change-related disasters have already cost the country nearly US$ 20 billion since the mid-1990s. The 2010 floods, for example, affected 20 million people and one fifth of the country. Adaptation strategies include better agronomical practices and improved resource management.
The Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, Amina J. Mohammed, stressed the importance of inclusive and multilateral approaches to DRR and emphasized the importance of engaging national stakeholders. She also urged governments to break down silos and prioritize the inclusion of LDCs and the most vulnerable populations in their disaster risk assessments.
Pakistan is making progress in developing its institutional framework, but the country’s CC policies are still lacking. The government must establish effective mechanisms for intergovernmental consultation, including the development of energy sectors. Through intergovernmental consultation, it can turn CPEC into a green BRI by reducing coal-based energy projects and environmentally damaging infrastructure activities.
Despite its significant environmental problems, the government is only spending 0.00028% of its GDP on environmental protection. The country is currently a top seven CC-affected country. Climate adaptation costs are projected to be between US$7-14 billion per year. Mitigation costs are projected to reach $8B to $17B by 2050. The main contributors to GHG emissions are the energy sector, agriculture, and industrial processes.
In the high-level dialogue, the participants discussed ways to increase financial flows for disaster prevention and risk assessment. Currently, only 4% of total development assistance is dedicated to disaster risk assessment and prevention. Consequently, it is vital to incorporate a “think resilient” approach to all investments to address disaster risk.
COVID-19 resistance in Pakistan
The World Health Organization has ranked vaccine hesitancy as one of the world’s top 10 health threats. One of the worst countries is Pakistan, where two out of five people are unwilling to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. As a result, the Chinese government donated 500,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to Pakistan in February 2021. The government has also decided to vaccinate frontline health workers on a priority basis.
The current study aims to assess the attitude of the population of Pakistan to the COVID-19 vaccine. The study included a questionnaire that asked participants about their socio-demographics, their vaccination history, and their reasons for or against receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Participants were also asked about their beliefs about the vaccine, their willingness to pay for vaccination, and their health insurance plans.
Despite this hesitancy, the study reveals that a number of drugs were used to treat COVID-19 infections during the early months of the pandemic in Pakistan. The researchers note that the use of antibiotics during this time period is questionable, and the lack of specific treatment regimens is concerning. It is imperative for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and NIH to produce guidelines and ensure that they are followed in Pakistan. In addition, the study also reveals deficiencies in health care infrastructure and staff in the country.
The current study also highlights the need for more stringent antimicrobial stewardship. Antibiotics have been revolutionizing the treatment of infections for decades, but the emergence of resistance requires more stringent measures to stop infections from progressing. However, until recently, no study has assessed the antimicrobial use and resistance in patients with COVID-19 in Pakistan.
During the course of the survey, many participants highlighted the need for improved guidelines for the prescribing of antimicrobials for patients with COVID-19. These guidelines could also include expanded use of rapid molecular testing. Moreover, they suggested improved strategies to prevent AMR by strengthening health systems and promoting awareness of the disease.
The COVID-19 vaccine is essential for controlling COVID-19 outbreaks, but vaccination is not widely accessible in Pakistan. Vaccination of those at high risk should be encouraged. This will ensure herd immunity and minimize health inequalities.
