Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction

into Development Process in Pakistan

Brief Overview
National Disaster Management Authority, Islamabad, Pakistan

Disaster risk management is vital. Pakistan, in the past 60 years has suffered severe losses on
account of disasters. These related, inter-alia, to human life, physical social infrastructure and
natural environment. Full appreciation of the underlying causes and consequences of these
incidents are not fully mainstreamed into the policies, programmes, procedures and practices,
overseen and controlled by the government departments and even by the communities. So far, no
good case has been made for engagement of donors’ community, who are in a position to
positively support. As a result, the country continues to suffer from natural and human-induced
hazards.

Realization the situation, the Government of Pakistan has set up National Disaster Management
System (National / Provincial / District Authorities) under National Disaster Management Ordinance
2006.

An important part of Disaster Risk Management (DRM) is Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) which is
aimed to minimize vulnerabilities and disaster risks through prevention or mitigation and
preparedness. When DRR become embedded into regular development practices, and fully
institutionalized, it is known as DRR Mainstreaming.

One of the initiatives being pursued by the NDMA since 2008 under the One UN DRM Joint
Programme is ‘Mainstreaming DRR into Development Process’ to integrate DRR into the public
sector development policy, planning and implementation in the government. Under the
intervention, assistance is being provided to the selected Federal Ministries and international
donors in development of technical capacities for integration of DRR into the design and
implementation of future development projects.
1. Objective
to ensure that future development programs and projects of selected Ministries and
donors in disaster prone areas incorporate elements of disaster risk assessment and
risk reduction in the planning, design and implementation stages so that sustainable
economic and social development could be achieved by minimizing shocks from
disasters.
2. Scope
i. Achieve policy level support from the key Ministries for mainstreaming DRR into
their development programs and projects.
ii. Gap analysis and need assessment of the key Ministries from DRR point of view.

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 iii. Effect necessary modifications into the existing formats and procedures for
development project formulation, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation
with a view to incorporate disaster risk assessment and risk reduction.
iv. Develop and strengthen capacities of the key Ministries and donors in disaster risk
sensitive program design and implementation in hazard prone areas.
v. Develop ministry/sector specific guidelines/tool-kits on Mainstreaming DRR in the
respective work of the Ministries.
3. The Approach
1. A National Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction (NWG) comprising members from
the Planning Commission of Pakistan, nine key Ministries, lead international donors, and
professional / technical bodies was formed in NDMA in July 2008.
2. Ministerial Working Groups (MWGs) in each Ministry and Planning Commission were
formed to steer the DRR Mainstreaming Process.
3. Ministry specific DRR strategies were developed by each MWG focusing on their capacities
development to incorporate disaster risk assessment and risk reduction into actual design
and implementation of all development projects located in disaster prone areas.
4. Assistance in the form of DRR Consultants is being provided to these Ministries to facilitate
for implementation of DRR Mainstreaming activities.

Currently following Federal Ministries and international donors are selected under the initiative:

Federal Ministries
i. Ministry of Planning and Development (Planning Commission)
ii. Ministry of Housing and Works
iii. Ministry of Water and Power
iv. Ministry of Industries and Production
v. Ministry of Defence
vi. Ministry of Communication
vii. Ministry of Health
viii. Ministry of Education
ix. Ministry of Environment
x. Ministry of Food and Agriculture
International Donors
xi. World Bank
xii. DFID
Professional / Technical Members
xiii. Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC)
xiv. Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planner (PCATP)
xv. National Engineering Services of Pakistan Ltd. (NESPAK)
UN Agencies
xvi. UNDP
xvii. UNESCO
xviii. WHO
xix. UN-HABITAT
xx. FAO
xxi. WFP
Provincial / State Disaster Management Authorities
xxii. Director General of each authority (06)
4. Key Achievements
NDMA is working with the above selected Ministries to develop their capacities for integration of
disaster risk assessment and risk reduction in actual design and implementation of their
development projects located in high risk zones. Most of them have developed their Ministerial

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Strategies on DRR, developed detailed activities and work plans to achieve the DRR
Mainstreaming objective.

Following is an overview of key achievements made so far:

A. Setting up a working group at the apex level and sub-working group at the
level of Ministries for DRR Mainstreaming
a) National Strategy on DRR Mainstreaming approved and being implemented;
b) Six meeting of NWG were held;
c) 21 Meetings of MWGs were conducted, and decisions made are being followed up;
d) Ministerial Strategies were developed are being implemented in respective Ministry;
e) List of 50 Priority Districts for DRM activities was finalized and disseminated to
Planning Commission and partner Ministries;
f) DRR Experts have been engaged for the partner Ministries;
g) Review process of PC formats started in the Planning Commission;
h) A separate chapter on DRM is being included in 10th Five Year People’s Economic
Development Plan of Pakistan;

B. Planning and Implementation of projects for DRR Mainstreaming: Technical

assistance
Pilot testing projects for Planning Commission and other ministries were identified and now
feasibilities for their risk assessment and risk reduction are under preparation.

• Capacity-building of key Ministries for DRR Mainstreaming

a) The ‘Mainstreaming Disaster

Risk Reduction into
Development’ training course
was organized on 24-26
November 2008 in
Muzaffarabad for senior
government officials (NWG
and MWGs members). 27
Participants.
b) The Workshop on ‘Mainstreaming DRR into Development:
Strategic Issues and Prospects at Ministerial Level’ was
conducted on 17 August 2009 at Bhurban, Murree. The
main focus of the workshop was on the development of
Ministerial DRR Strategies and discussion on related
issues and their possible solutions. Members of NWG and
MWGs on DRR from the partner Ministries, DRR
Consultants, Members from Regional / Provincial
Planning & Development Departments, Representatives
of NESPAK, Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) and Pakistan Council of Architects and Town
Planners (PCATP) were the attendees (total 26 participants).
c) 3-day training course on “Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction in Development” for Ministry
of Housing & Works was organized 11-13 November 2009, at Muzaffarabad. The participations
were from the Ministry and its attached department (PHA, NC, NHA, FGEHF, Pak-PWD),
PCATP and PEC. Total 27 persons attended the training.
d) 3-day training course on Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into Development Process
was conducted on 19-21 November 2009 at Islamabad. It was organized for officers of MOIP

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 and its attached departments and organizations as well as for the representatives from various
Chambers of Commerce & Industry. The 32 officers from HMC, HEC, PASDAC, PIDC, NIP,
TUSDEC, PECO, USC, Department of Boiler Inspector and Department of Explosives etc. and
private sector participated in the course.
e) 2-Day Training Course on DRR Mainstreaming for MoIP was held on 28-29 Jan 2010 at
Islamabad. Active participation (41) mostly from private sector; mainstreaming DRR in planning
and operations in the context of industrial hazards was the main focus.
f) Seminar on DRR Sensitive National Housing Policy and National Planning Standards was
conducted on 23 February 2010 at NIDM, Islamabad.
g) Workshop on Minimizing Industrial Hazards in Marble Sector was conducted on 02 March
2010. 33 participants from Marble sector (Private, public and academia).
5. Issues and Challenges
i) Mainstreaming DRR itself is a new concept emerged few years back at international
scenario. Needs a lot of efforts to make people aware of the concept and its
implementation.
ii) Most of the concerned officers dealing development processes felt the initiative as an extra
work on already over-burdened routine, and an addition to the existing development costs.
iii) Top-ranking officers are reluctant to give any priority to this initiative.
iv) Required capacity to deal the initiative is not available within these selected Ministries.
v) Not easy to change the current thinking, prevailing norms and culture of these Ministries,
and to change the mind-sets of the decision makers dealing with public sector development
programmes.
6. Extension of Scope of the initiative at Provincial and District levels
Similarly various Provincial Ministries are playing key role in the development processes
particularly in the devolved sectors. Their active participation is vital to successfully implement the
DRR Mainstreaming initiative. Integration of respective Provincial Disaster Management Authorities
(PDMAs) with NDMA, and strengthened coordination of Provincial Ministries with respective line
Federal Ministries is crucial. In the next phase in 2011, Provincial Ministries would be involved in
the initiative as well as it will be extended up to district level.

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