PESHAWAR: The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has formally launched Pakistan’s first-ever Sub-National Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Policy at a high-level ceremony held at the Chief Minister’s House, Peshawar.
The launch marks a major step towards making Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a safer, climate-adaptive, resilient and risk-informed province.
The ceremony was jointly organized by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and the Relief, Rehabilitation & Settlement Department, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The policy has been developed with the support of the Government of Germany, particularly through the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
The ceremony was attended by senior government officials, development partners, diplomats, humanitarian organizations, representatives of academia and civil society, and media professionals.
Addressing the ceremony on behalf of the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Minister for Information and Public Relations Shafi Ullah Jan described the launch of the DRR Policy as a major milestone in the province’s history.
He said the policy was not merely a document but a practical expression of the government’s commitment to protecting the lives and properties of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Shafi Jan said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was moving from a reactive approach-responding to disasters after they occur-towards a proactive system based on preparedness, early action, risk identification and mitigation.
Now, our focus will not remain limited to relief, rescue and rehabilitation after disasters. We are moving towards preparedness and risk reduction before disasters strike, he said.
The Information Minister said that merely receiving information about a potential hazard was not enough. The real success of an early-warning system lay in ensuring that timely warnings reached vulnerable communities and enabled them to take appropriate precautionary measures.
He said timely warnings and anticipatory action could significantly reduce loss of life and damage to property.
Shafi Jan said the province would adopt modern technology and internationally recognized techniques in disaster management, while natural and climate-related risks would be incorporated into development planning from the outset.
He emphasized the importance of risk-informed development, saying that future development planning and investment decisions must take natural hazards and climate risks into account from the very beginning.
The minister said rapid population growth, unplanned construction, inadequate land-use planning and deforestation were increasing disaster risks. Therefore, disaster risk reduction must become an integral part of governance and development planning.
He said the DRR Policy would help transform Khyber Pakhtunkhwa into a safer, modern, climate-resilient and disaster-resilient province.
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