Daily Times

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif have said that in recent years, the looming threat of climate change has made Pakistan more vulnerable to natural disasters. They said that Pakistan is facing an immense impact of climate change despite not being responsible for it

This was stated by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Shairf in their separate messages on National Resilience Day being observed today (Tuesday).

President Asif Ali Zardari said that today we are observing National Resilience Day, which reminds us of the devastating earthquake of October 8, 2005, that claimed thousands of lives. The destruction it brought to our cities and villages remains etched in our memory. However, amid this catastrophe, our nation displayed an unparalleled spirit of resilience and unity and generously helped the affected people.

President Asif Ali Zardari said “today, I also wish to extend my deepest gratitude to the international community, friendly countries, civil society, welfare and charity organizations that extended their invaluable support in the aftermath of this earthquake. Their support and solidarity not only helped us rebuild our roads, education, health and other infrastructure but also gave hope to the affected people, enabling them to rebuild their lives”.

President Asif Ali Zardari said that in recent years, the looming threat of climate change has made Pakistan more vulnerable to natural disasters. Rising temperatures, unpredictable weather patterns, and extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, heatwaves, and landslides pose a potential threat to the infrastructure and lives of our people.

President Asif Ali Zardari said that as the frequency and intensity of climate-related calamities has increased in Pakistan, it has become essential to invest in the capacity building of our national and provincial disaster management authorities and enhance their disaster preparedness. We need to equip our relevant institutions with the latest technologies, expertise, and resources to effectively respond to emerging challenges. Improving early warning systems, enhancing coordination among national and provincial authorities, and adopting modern disaster mitigation strategies should be our key priorities to timely respond to threats. Additionally, we must focus on constructing climate-resilient infrastructure to mitigate the impacts of climate change. We also need to educate our people about disaster risk management, and mitigation, and actively engage our communities to promote a culture of disaster preparedness.

President Asif Ali Zardari said that this National Resilience Day reminds us that the Pakistani nation has displayed extraordinary resilience in the face of challenges and has always emerged stronger. I am sure that if we continue to work with the spirit of unity and resilience, we can overcome the challenges facing our country, he said.

Meanwhile PM Shehbaz Sharif in his message said that the 8th of October reminds us of the devastating earthquake of 2005 – a great tragedy that befell upon Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir. Our heartfelt prayers go to all those who endured loss of lives and properties. After the devastating 2005 earthquake, the floods of 2022 were a mega disaster surpassing all past records.

PM Shehbaz Sharif said that the people and institutions of Pakistan have always shown immense resolve and demonstrated ability to resurface amidst catastrophes and national crises, induced by climate change and environmental hazards. He said that Pakistan is facing an immense impact of climate change despite not being responsible for it. Frequent recurrence of unpredictable extreme events have given devastating blow to our struggling economy.

PM Shehbaz Sharif said “I commend the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of Pakistan for its hard work to have evolved a tested mechanism as a national response towards such natural calamities. Key components of our national response include proactively working at reducing vulnerability to disasters and providing coping mechanisms and framework for effective disaster management”.

He said that it is quite satisfying that NDMA’s National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) has the best capacities in management of national disasters. NEOC is founded on high-end technology inputs to create disasters’ early warnings much ahead of time – saving lives and infrastructure. “I urge all stakeholders to seek synergy through greater and refined understanding of each other’s strengths and capacity limitations, achieving maximized interoperability amongst local, zonal, national, global, and public and private sectors through a ‘whole of society’ approach” PM Shehbaz Sharif said.

He said that efficient and effective coordination, development of contingency plans and risk communication to farthest communities is critical for national resilience. ‘National Resilience Day’ is a motivation for us to embrace the best practices and implement policies and strategies aimed at fortifying our nation’s resilience. Our policy initiatives should encompass various sectors, including safe development of infrastructure, improved disaster preparedness, poverty alleviation, safer spatial land use planning, adherence to building codes, efficient water resource management, sound agricultural practices, and increased afforestation nationwide, including coastal areas.

“On this occasion, I express our gratitude for the valuable help provided by the international community, civil society, and private philanthropy in bolstering our national response efforts during the 2022 floods disaster. The people of Pakistan have a history of philanthropy and generosity in times of crises and their response during the earthquake of 2005 and floods of 2022 is a vivid example of their benevolence. By the grace of Allah, we have always, and continue to, fought through all such calamities with the help of our brave Pakistani brethren and sisters. May Allah guide and help us in building a strong and resilient Pakistan” PM Shehbaz Sharif said.