Islamabad (Web Desk/Agencies): National Resilience Day is being observed across the country today (Tuesday) to express solidarity with the victims of 2005 earthquake.
In their separate messages on the occasion, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have called for focusing on mitigating the impacts of climate change through effective coordination and construction of climate resilient infrastructure.
President Asif Ali Zardari stressed the need to educate the people about disaster risk management, and mitigation, and actively engage the communities to promote a culture of disaster preparedness.
“Today we are observing National Resilience Day, which reminds us of the devastating earthquake of October 8, 2005, that claimed thousands of lives”, he said in a message on the occasion of National Resilience Day.
The destruction it brought to our cities and villages remains etched in our memory. However, amid this catastrophe, our nation displayed an unparalleled spirit of resilience and unity and generously helped the affected people, he said.
President Zardari also extended his deepest gratitude to the international community, friendly countries, civil society, welfare and charity organizations that extended their invaluable support in the aftermath of this earthquake.
He highlighted that rising temperatures, unpredictable weather patterns, and extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, heatwaves, and landslides posed a potential threat to the infrastructure and lives of our people.
The president added that the frequency and intensity of climate-related calamities had increased in Pakistan, it had become essential to invest in the capacity building of our national and provincial disaster management authorities and enhance their disaster preparedness.
“We need to equip our relevant institutions with the latest technologies, expertise, and resources to effectively respond to emerging challenges, President Zardari said.”
He stressed that improving early warning systems, enhancing coordination among national and provincial authorities, and adopting modern disaster mitigation strategies should be the key priorities to timely respond to threats.
“This National Resilience Day reminds us that the Pakistani nation has displayed extraordinary resilience in the face of challenges and has always emerged stronger. I am sure that if we continue to work with the spirit of unity and resilience, we can overcome the challenges facing our country,” President Zardari asserted.
In his message on the occasion, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that efficient and effective coordination, development of contingency plans and risk communication to farthest communities was critical for national resilience.
‘National Resilience Day’ is a motivation for us to embrace the best practices and implement policies and strategies aimed at fortifying our nation’s resilience, the premier said.
PM Shehbaz said the government’s policy initiatives should encompass various sectors, including safe development of infrastructure, improved disaster preparedness, poverty alleviation, safer spatial land use planning, adherence to building codes, efficient water resource management, sound agricultural practices, and increased afforestation nationwide, including coastal areas.
“The 8th of October reminds us of the devastating earthquake of 2005 – a great tragedy that befell upon Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir. Our heartfelt prayers go to all those who endured loss of lives and properties,” he added.
After the devastating 2005 earthquake, the floods of 2022 were a mega disaster surpassing all past records, he said adding that the people and institutions of Pakistan had always shown immense resolve and demonstrated ability to resurface amidst catastrophes and national crises, induced by climate change and environmental hazards.
He said Pakistan is facing an immense impact of climate change despite not being responsible for it. Frequent recurrence of unpredictable extreme events have given devastating blow to our struggling economy.
He commended the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of Pakistan for its hard work to have evolved a tested mechanism as a national response towards such natural calamities.
The premier expressed his satisfaction that NDMA’s National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC) had the best capacities in management of national disasters.
“NEOC is founded on high-end technology inputs to create disasters’ early warnings much ahead of time – saving lives and infrastructure,” he said
PM Shehbaz urged all stakeholders to seek synergy through greater and refined understanding of each other’s strengths and capacity limitations, achieving maximized interoperability amongst local, zonal, national, global, and public and private sectors through a ‘whole of society’ approach.
On this occasion, he also expressed the gratitude for the valuable help provided by the international community, civil society, and private philanthropy in bolstering the government’s national response efforts during the 2022 floods disaster.
Meanwhile, Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Engineer Amir Muqam has said the government will continue to take more effective measures for making Pakistan a disaster-free country.
In his message on the occasion of National Resilience Day, he expressed solidarity with the victims of devastating earthquake of October, 2005.
The minister lauded the exemplary role played by the institutions engaged in the national reconstruction following the earthquake.
Engineer Amir Muqam also appreciated the cooperation extended by the international community following the deadly earthquake.