A high-level Turkish defence delegation led by Lieutenant General Fedai Ünsal, Vice Chief of Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, visited the National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) at the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) headquarters in Islamabad on Wednesday to explore avenues for enhanced cooperation in disaster management, emergency response and climate resilience.
During the visit, the delegation was briefed on NDMA’s technology driven disaster management architecture, including its multi hazard early warning systems, real time data integration platforms, risk assessment frameworks, Pakistan Disaster Lens (PDL), and national preparedness mechanisms designed to address climate induced and natural disasters. Chairman NDMA Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik welcomed the visiting delegation and outlined the authority’s evolving role as Pakistan’s lead institution for disaster risk management.
Haider highlighted NDMA’s transition from a response focused organization to a proactive institution emphasizing disaster risk reduction, preparedness, anticipatory action and community resilience.
Officials from both sides discussed institutional mechanisms for disaster preparedness, emergency response and crisis coordination, with a focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation in disaster risk reduction, humanitarian assistance, resilience building and emergency management.
The discussions also covered the use of advanced technologies, data analytics and integrated command and control systems to improve disaster response capabilities.
The Turkish delegation later toured NDMA’s Center of Excellence, Humanitarian Logistics Yard, Logistics Yard and Mobile National Emergencies Operation Center, where they were briefed on Pakistan’s specialized capabilities in professional training, humanitarian logistics, deployable command and control systems and emergency response support infrastructure.
The visiting officials praised NDMA’s disaster management capabilities and expressed their commitment to expanding collaboration through technical cooperation, knowledge sharing, training programmes and capacity building initiatives. Both sides reaffirmed the importance of stronger institutional linkages to address the growing challenges posed by climate change and increasingly complex disaster risks.