Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that Pakistan has joined the red zone of climate change and is one of the 10 most affected countries in the world.
Addressing the inauguration of the National Emergencies Operations Center under the NDMA here, he encouraged the people and said, “We should not lose heart and work hard.”
He praised the NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) in 2022 for “its important role in flood recovery”.
He warned that the country suffered 30 billion dollars in damage in the flood of 2022. The flood has caused massive devastation in Sindh and the NDMA has played an important role in the rescue and rehabilitation of flood victims.
The Prime Minister praised the chairman of NDMA for taking steps to overcome the challenges of climate change. NDMA formulated the strategy and successfully implemented it along with other departments.
He cited NDMA’s weather information system and said it was a model for other departments as well.
The joint efforts of the province and the federal government ensure the recovery of flood victims.
He said that Pakistan has experienced many floods in the past and the government has spent 100 billion dollars in the next budget to rehabilitate the flood victims.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said that Pakistan was giving a voice to the flood victims at the donor conference in Geneva and emphasized on recovery efforts.
He said that the government will provide all resources for NDMA. The Prime Minister urged NDMA to be professional, not heed to all suggestions, select the best personnel and pay special attention to training.
He said that the NDMA should be close to the provinces and have an integrated and comprehensive communication system.
The Prime Minister said the government has spent $80 billion on information technology. A Chinese company will give IT skills to 300,000 children every year. The government plans to train millions of our boys and girls in IT for a decent living.
Describing the NDMA’s Emergency Operation System as a world-class institution and a security bastion for the country, the Prime Minister said induction should be done only on its merits.
Adam said world-class centers should be selected within and outside the country to train human resources for disaster preparedness and response. He said the government would bear the cost of the training program and said it was an investment to save our future investment.
The Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of greater coordination between the Center and federal departments to effectively address the issue of climate change. The Ministry of Climate Change should play an active role in this regard.
Shehbaz Sharif said that a comprehensive plan should be drawn up in consultation with the provinces to acquire the necessary equipment to ensure complete preparedness and preparedness in case of disaster.
The Prime Minister also recalled the coordination shown by the provinces and the Center during the 2022 floods, which caused the suffering of millions of people.
Shehbaz Sharif said that the government has set a development budget of eighty billion rupees for the IT sector. The goal is to educate our youth with the latest skills, he said.
