100 likes | 234 Views
COUNTRY PAPER PAKISTAN. by MR. SHAHZAD NAWAZ CHEEMA MR.SAIF ULLAH BUTT. An Overview.
E N D
COUNTRY PAPERPAKISTAN by MR. SHAHZAD NAWAZ CHEEMAMR.SAIF ULLAH BUTT
An Overview • In the wake of immense population pressures, uneven distribution of economic resources, low literacy rate, serious threat perception in terms of territorial integrity, together with financial and monetary constraints and unstable Balance of Payment and the new laws by World Trade Organization, the National Economic Policies response towards natural disasters remained inclined for the adoption of relief methodologies instead of following the preparedness techniques for the mitigation of natural disasters.
However, with the burgeoning events of hydro-meterological disasters in Asia, the concern of national policy making is now directed towards the adoption of preparedness techniques for mitigation of disasters. Government of Pakistan is mindful of the huge losses of socio-economic nature as the result of natural disasters. Therefore, in order to avert the situation,the Federal Govt. at the very outset established of Emergency Relief Cell for disasters Management.
This organ of the state is entrusted with substantial administrative and financial Resources. • Similarly, to lessen the losses incurred due to droughts, the Government of Pakistan has established Drought Emergency Relief Assistance Programme(DERA), these programmes are more focused in relation to the adoption of preparedness theory for mitigating such disasters.
DERA Programme focuses on before hand advocacy and awareness as to the currencyof such events. • Moreover, DERA is entrusted to review on annual and semi-annual basis the contingency plans ahead of the occasions of natural disasters.
To ensure smooth governance for the implementation of DERA Programme, the monitoring and evaluation Cells are being established by the Government and to estimate the financial losses, the Government of Pakistan has established Development Financial Management System (DFMS) which ensures the smooth status of expenditures incurred for the aversion of nature disasters.
Due to this system, the Government has been able to convince the bilateral and multilateral donors to invest their capital for amelioration of situations arising out of natural catastrophes. • Testimony to this effect can be gauged from the fact that donors allocated an amount of US $ 4.43 million during the financial year 2002-2003.
Moreover, to address the bottlenecks in governance and implementation of strategies for risk disaster management the Government of Pakistan have established the Advisory Cells to monitor the implementation processes. • Together with these activities, the coordinated disaster relief measures are already in place in Pakistan bythe Meteorological Department, through the establishment of Flood Relief Warehouses, by the induction of latest Fleet of Aviation Squad under the aegis of Cabinet Division.
And above all, now there is a streamlined system of coordination between the federal organs of Government and the International Non-Governmental Sector as well as the National Non-Governmental Sector. • The efforts to provide money to these sectors in accordance with the requirements of National Conversation Strategy of the Government of Pakistan is already in place and now the approach towards fighting the natural disasters has assumed the status of preparedness in tone and nature.
Socio – Economic Impacts of Disasters • The poor are extremely vulnerable to natural disaster hazards. • Loss of life; Physically-disabled population. • Disruption of communities; Disruption of family life. • Unemployment; Migration. • Differential gender impact; Trade • Shortfalls in tax revenues; Fiscal deficits; Increase level of public debt.