INTRODUCTION

The word Disaster Management (DM) encompasses two different yet interlinked phases of Disasters as posed in Disaster Cycle. They are Disaster Response and the Disaster Preparedness.

“Effective Disaster Response in present is Disaster Preparedness for Future”.

DISATER PROFILE

DISASTER PROFILE (Pakistan is prone to natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, drought and cyclones. The country is home to the world’s largest refugee population from Afghanistan (over 3 million people). A significant threat in Pakistan has been increasing communal violence and spasmodic conflicts over territorial claims between Pakistan and neighboring India.
Geographically and demographically the country as a whole is exposed to Natural Disasters and Manmade Calamities, following are the types of disasters:
• Seasonal / Flash floods
• Droughts
• Twisters
• Earthquakes
• Sectarian violence
• Terrorism and
• Internal conflicts. Epidemic Disease
In summary, Pakistan remains a country with significant potential for conflict, violence and instability both inside the territory and across the borders.

DISATER MANAGEMENT

Disaster Management is the core area of work of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society. Besides natural disasters to which our country is prone to, we now suffer from many man-induced disaster situations, which is a fall out of situation along our western borders. The PRCS has set accordingly priorities (see PRCS Program Priorities) of Disaster Management.

The PRCS works auxiliary to the government and supplement its efforts in providing humanitarian services to the most vulnerable, in line with the fundamental principles of humanity without any discrimination on the basis of nationality, race, religion, class, color, creed, gender or political opinion.

Disaster Preparedness encompasses two major components i.e. software and hardware activities. In software support it includes trainings at community levels aiming to enable the local community and volunteers to cope up any disaster situation within the area. These trainings include basic Disaster Management Skills that are deemed necessary for success of community based disaster preparedness. PRCS uses Disaster Management (DM) tools to better initiate the activities in the vulnerable communities. Such as, PRCS uses vulnerability and capacity assessment (VCA) in the context of disaster preparedness. Other trainings include Community Based First Aid Training (CBFA), Composition of Local Disaster Preparedness Teams, Community Awareness Sessions, Community Based Risk Reduction Trainings, Simulation Exercises etc.

Disaster Preparedness hardware support covers small mitigation projects in vulnerable communities, establishment of Disaster Management Cells at vulnerable districts with technical, human and material support. It also includes maintenance of minimum stock level of relief stores at all the time, communication and team of volunteers to respond immediately to any disaster situation.

In Disaster Response our immediate concern is to provide relief including Shelter, Food and medical assistance to the disaster affectees to enable them to resume their normal daily life independently. Our response mechanism works from National down to community level.

Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) under the new leadership has envisaged Disaster Management as the most important area of work, so as to build the local capacities of the most vulnerable communities in order to cope with the localized disasters. The new vision (see Disaster Management Policy) of PRCS work entails the following;

*Building, enhancing and strengthening the present Disaster Management Capacity Structures of the PRCS at the Grassroots level.

*Identification of the Most Vulnerable Districts and creating the PRCS presence in those areas.

*Equipping the Disaster Management Structures in terms of human, technical and material resource
.
*Increasing the Integration of the PRCS Programs for reaping effective results at the ground.

*Improved Coordination Amongst the Local Partners at the National and at the grassroot level to avoid duplication of effort.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT POLICY

1. Pakistan is a Disaster Prone country. Its very diverse Terrain & Climatic conditions make it susceptible to various forms of disasters. The Northern Area & parts of Balochistan are Seismic Prone, where as floods are a common phenomenon in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh. The Disaster Profile of Pakistan would indicate that almost every year the country has to cope with one or other form of disaster.

2. Our emphasis in Strategic Plan 2005-2008 is therefore on Disaster Management, with a special focus on Disaster Management due to Man Induced Reasons. Towards this end our Disaster Management policy revolves around the following key areas:

a. Prioritization
b. Disaster Preparedness/ Response
c. Coordination
d. Integration

3. Prioritization: We need to deliberately prioritize various areas from Disaster Management perspective at each Administrative Tier in the Provinces. In other words, we need to carefully prioritize our most Disaster Prone Districts, Union Councils and where possible Villages. There-after we should deploy resources for Disaster Management according to local needs.

4. Disaster Preparedness/ Response: This involves Capacity Building in the following areas:

a. Disaster Management Cells: It is essential to establish a Disaster Management Cell in each of the prioritized district, which should manage all aspects of Disaster Management under its jurisdiction. This capacity needs to be gradually developed within the framework of Strategic Development Plan (2005-2008).

b. Emergency Response Ambulance Service: Emergency Response Ambulance Service is required to be gradually established in all the major cities to readily and effectively respond to the acts of Urban Terrorism. Initially this service has been established in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. This service will be extended to Provincial Capitals and other major cities of the country.

c. Human Resources: There is a need to have dedicated Human Resources for Disaster Management depending on the local needs at each prioritized/ identified administrative tier. It is desirable to have dedicated individuals with communications at the level of most Disaster Prone Union Councils. Like wise there is a need to progressively enlarge the existing Volunteer Base from grass root level upwards.

d. Infrastructure: This includes construction of Warehouses and other Mitigation Activities according to local needs.

e. Equipment: This includes provision of Ambulances and Communication equipment for efficient flow of information.

f. Relief Goods: This includes provision of sufficient relief items in the warehouses according to local needs and their efficient management.

g. Trainings: Training will include First Aid, Community Based Disaster Preparedness Workshops and Tracing Workshops etc. The trained Volunteers should be incorporated in carefully conceived follow up activities to ensure their availability during emergencies.

h. Financial Support: It is desirable to have an Emergency Fund for purchase of perishable goods (Foods and Medicines) etc according to local needs at each tier.

i. Community Awareness Programme: It will include orientation meetings with communities, printing of leaflets/posters and translation of books in Urdu for easy comprehension of communities.

j. Disaster Management Plans of Districts: At each District level a comprehensive Disaster Management (DM) Plan should be prepared in close coordination with all Government and other agencies involved in the Disaster Management (DM). This plan should cater for all possible Disaster

5. Coordination: Coordination with Government Agencies, NGOs, INGO’s and other relief agencies is critical to efficient Disaster Management. The PRCS setup at each level must be fully conversant with the Disaster Management Plan of all other agencies in the area to avoid duplication/redundancy

6. Integration: Integration of other core areas of PRCS such as Health, Humanitarian Values, Organization Development with Disaster Management, where possible for optimum effects. Such as, where applicable the areas of the Ambulance Services, Blood and First Aid etc will be integrated between Disaster Management and Health. Volunteer Training should incorporate trainings in all the Core Areas of Disaster Management, Health and Humanitarian Values etc, as a package.

National Strategy for Disaster Management
Pakistan is vulnerable to disaster risks from a range of hazards including avalanches, cyclones/storms, droughts, earthquakes, epidemics, floods, glacial lake outbursts, landslides, pest attacks, river erosion and tsunami. Human induced hazards that threaten the country include transport, industrial, oil spills, urban and forest fires, civil conflicts and internal displacements of communities due to multiple factors. High priority hazards in terms of their frequency and scale of impact are:- earthquakes, droughts, flooding, Wind Storms and Landslides that have caused widespread damages and losses in the past.

A reactive, emergency response approach has remained the predominant way of dealing with disasters in Pakistan till now. The Calamity Act of 1958 was mainly concerned with organizing emergency response. A system of relief commissionrate at provincial level was established. An Emergency Relief Cell (ERC) in the Cabinet Secretariat was responsible for organizing disaster response by the federal government. The awareness of policy makers, media, civil society, NGOs, UN agencies and other stakeholders remained low about disaster risk management and the Country as a whole lacked a systematic approach towards disaster risk management.

The loss of life and property and the challenges that were faced in the aftermath of October 2005 earthquake affecting Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the NWFP province exhibited the need for establishing appropriate policy and institutional arrangements to reduce losses from disasters in future.

The need for strong institutional and policy arrangements has been fulfilled with the promulgation of National Disaster Management Ordinance, 2006. Under the Ordinance the National Disaster Management Commission (NDMC) has been established under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister as the highest policy making body in the field of disaster management. As an executive arm of the NDMC, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has been made operational to coordinate and monitor implementation of National Policies and Strategies on disaster management.

The new system envisages a devolved and de-centralized mechanism for disaster management. Accordingly, Provincial Disaster Management Commissions (PDMCs) and Authorities (PDMAs) have been established while similar arrangements have been made in AJ&K and Northern Areas. The District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) have been notified across the country. The DDMAs are going to be the linchpin of the whole system and would play the role of the first line of defense in the event of a disaster.

The National Disaster risk Management Framework has been formulated to guide the work of entire system in the area of disaster risk management. It has been developed through wide consultation with stakeholders from local, provincial and national levels. The Framework identifies National Strategies and Policies for disaster management. Nine priority areas have been identified within this framework to establish and strengthen policies, institutions and capacities over the next five years: These include:-

Institutional and legal arrangements for DRM
Hazard and vulnerability assessment.
Training, education and awareness.
Disaster risk management planning.
Community and local level programming.
Multi-hazard early warning system.
Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into development.
Emergency response system, and
Capacity development for post disaster recovery.
The NDMA has already embarked upon a five year development program to implement the above nine priority areas. For the purpose, the NDMA in collaboration with international donor agencies, has already secured commitments for the provision of 58 million dollars.

Benefits of effective disaster management

Effective disaster management helps save lives and provides relief to people affected by disaster. It further helps minimize property damage resulting from these incidents and creates a framework in which rebuilding of affected areas can begin.

Disaster management also requires action to prevent areas hit by disasters--natural or otherwise--from deteriorating further. Natural disasters, such as devastating earthquakes or hurricanes, can often lead to civil disorder among affected populations.

My essays are
Flood crisis
energy crisis
Women Rights
and may be on wikileaks .....

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LivE lIke ALI
dIe liKe HUSSAIN

Salam

i am preparing the following essays.

Please guide me forum members.

Freedom of information is exploring new horizons or the implications of freedom of information in modern world

Major economic challenges of Pakistan

State of education in Pakistan.

Importance of disaster/crisis management.

Thank you all.

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If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind. ~ John Stuart Mill

salam to all ! Sikander are u taling in the pretext of wikileaks as far as ur freedom of information essay is concerened.will u plz make an outline so that we get an idea. Can any one guide me which one is important essay,women role in pakistan development,changing role of women in pakistni society,women empoerment in pakistn,women role in pakistan politics.plz guide time is running out. Regards sabahat

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GEO to aise k sab tumhara ha,MARO to aisa jaise tmhara kuch bhi nhi.

Maza deti han zindagi ki thokerin unko,jinhen NAAM-E-KHUDA le kar sanbhal janey ki adat ho.

According to me these are the important topics of 2011

1: Women in a society,
2: Global Economic Crunch,
3: Global warming,
4: Interdependence of Judiciary,
5: Terrorism in Pakistan,

Dear all I want to inform you about a experience rather than am not write down my 5 essays, that is never select an essay which is controversial because it totally depends upon the examiner perception and conception. the last bad experience is ARE MEN AND WOMEN ARE EQUAL. also think about CORRUPTION and HOW CHANGE IS POSSIBLE.

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Main ne Allah Ko apney iraadon ke totney se pehchana hay...!!
Hazrat Ali (R.A)

Atleaast you should go through these essays :

1. Global warming and Pakistan
2. Is Pakistan a failed state or not?
3. Energy crisis in Pakistan
4. Media in Pakistan
5. Terrorism and global peace.


"Success never means absence of failure, it means winning the war not every battle"

an article on disaster management in Pakistan.....


http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/11052...aper_11052.pdf

Salam dear members,brothers and sisters.

i am trying to go for this essay.i think it quite important in the wake of the NRO,NAB controversy.

Democracy without accountability is lame.

i believe that NRO has robbed the democratic institutions to hold politicians responsible for committing acts of omission and commission.Moreover it has also handed a clean chit to all the corrupt elements of our polity.
NAb has so far, remained ineffectual and a tool of political victimization.But i think that we can add some core principles related to democracy and a framework for checks and balances.
i need some relevant examples of democracies which flexibly carried out accountability.Turkey is already on this course.It is holding a grand trial of some top detractors of democracy who tried to plot against the then incumbent government.

@Syeda Sabahat

Well,you guessed it right.i was in fact talking in respect to the freedom of information,information explosion,everything going global and the appeal of information and its impact on world politics and international relations.

Since we know the 21st century is going to be the age of information technology with the world shrinking and reducing itself at your palm in the form of mobile and tech-gadgets.

now on the outline.
i am sorry.i tried to search some material but i couldn't find any.i will browse th forum and some other sources and then paste it here.

regards.

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If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind. ~ John Stuart Mill

SALAM raz brother hope ur enjoying ur time by winning 3 medals surely u deserve those.bro plz help me give me top 10 topics for english essay 2011 as u know i hardly have some time left.i have preparaed some topics but doubtful whether these r important or nt.reply as early as possible. regards sabahat

__________________
GEO to aise k sab tumhara ha,MARO to aisa jaise tmhara kuch bhi nhi.

Maza deti han zindagi ki thokerin unko,jinhen NAAM-E-KHUDA le kar sanbhal janey ki adat ho.