ISLAMABAD: The Board of Directors of the National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) has approved 10 projects for disaster risk reduction at a cost of Rs4.9 billion, including a grant financing of Rs3.6bn.
A meeting of the board presided over by Finance Secretary Naveed Kamran Baloch here on Monday was attended by Asian Development Bank’s Country Director Ms Xiaohong Yang, Additional Secretary Economic Affairs Zulfiqar Haider Khan, Secretary Climate Change Hassan Nasir Jamy and NDRMF’s Chief Executive Officer retired Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed.
An official statement said these projects will be implemented by the irrigation departments of Punjab, Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Sindh, the Communication and Works Department of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Rescue 1122 Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan Meteorological Department, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund and Muslim Aid Pakistan.
The projects include activities related to Flood Protection Works, Tsunami & Earthquake Early Warning System, Landslide Control Management, Emergency Response Services, Weather Radar System, Drought Mitigation and Community-based Disaster Risk Management.
Rs4.9bn plans aim to protect vulnerable communities
The total cost of the approved projects is estimated at Rs4.925bn out of which the NDRMF shall finance Rs3.606bn (73.23pc) through a grant whereas the remaining 26.77pc contribution, amounting to Rs1.318bn shall be made available by the respective government and non-government entities. The projects are anticipated to protect vulnerable communities while enhancing Pakistan’s resilience to natural and climatic hazards.
The fund has already approved about Rs2.5bn worth of disaster risk reduction schemes early this year, making total new projects launched this year to over Rs7.5bn.
Those projects are in early stages of implementation by the National Disaster Management Authority, Punjab Irrigation Department, Pakistan Red Crescent Society, Islamic Relief Pakistan and a joint venture of Aga Khan Foundation and Aga Khan Planning & Building Services. These projects also focused on disaster risk reduction and preparedness.
The NDRMF has been created with the support of international lending agencies with major support from the ADB to help authorities build resilient infrastructure for reducing socio-economic and fiscal vulnerability of the country and its population to natural hazards and climate change, through financing investments in disaster risk reduction and preparedness that have high economic impacts.