ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hoped Pakistan’s disaster management authority would act as a “safety wall” against climate change effects, as he visited the revamped National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC), a center that can predict climate disasters in advance, on Thursday.
Set up in October last year, the NEOC is equipped with the latest tools and technologies, including real-time satellite feeds, to anticipate disasters up to three months in advance. Established at the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), its multidisciplinary team of experts harnesses the power of geographic information system (GIS), remote sensing, climatology, meteorology, seismology, hydrology, and data sciences to monitor and analyze global and local hazards.
Pakistan is ranked the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change globally, with nearly 10,000 deaths and $3.8 billion in economic losses between 1999 and 2018, according to the Global Climate Risk Index.
Climate-induced rains and subsequent flooding in the 2022 monsoons submerged a third of the South Asian country, killing around 1,700 people and affecting more than 33 million — almost the entire population of Canada. The country is also beset by frequent heat waves and droughts.
“Due to climate change, Pakistan is in the red zone and among the top ten vulnerable countries,” Sharif said during a visit to the center with federal ministers and secretaries.
“I have no doubt that the NDMA, in coordination with provincial PDMAs, will become a safety wall for Pakistan.”
The Pakistani prime minister asked NDMA to ensure close coordination with provinces and the Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir regions.
“This is not an expenditure,” Sharif said. “This is an investment to save our future investments,” he remarked.”
Pakistan’s weather patterns have changed in recent years, forcing cities to strengthen their infrastructure and farmers to adapt their practices.
Analysts and government officials say Pakistan in recent years failed to achieve goals for economic growth because of man-made disasters, which have repeatedly hit the country in the form of droughts, heatwaves and heavy rains, which badly damaged the road network, bridges, power system and other infrastructure.
