PESHAWAR - Monsoon contingency planning has been initiated at provincial and district levels to assess the level of vulnerabilities in a systematic way and to map out resources available with all stakeholders, thereby an integrated mechanism is devised for swift response to the impending disaster situation during monsoon season.
PDMA Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has formulated provincial monsoon contingency plan for the year 2020 with support from all line departments and district disaster management units, which provided all the base line first hand information.
The document is brief and comprehensive and is based on the principle of automated formal systemic responses after first time initiation.
Lastly the Covid-19 pandemic and locust attack during this year made the document unique and unprecedented.
Similarly, the district monsoon contingency plan, 2020 contains indicators for all districts.
These indicators include, but are not limited to, introduction of district, map of district, rainfall and monsoon profile with record of previous three years, seasonal calendar, monsoon damages, compensations paid, resource mapping, available machinery, philanthropists details, NFIs, vulnerable areas and identified camps, health profile, contact directory and district emergency control room.
Pakistan experiences monsoon season from June to September every year with variable intensity of rainfall. Heavy rains can cause floods (flash floods and urban flood). Landslides, glacial lake outburst floods and less rainfall in certain parts results into drought like situation. As per historical data/records during monsoon, floods pose innumerable challenges for disaster management.
It calls for adaptation of a comprehensive and pro-active multi-sectoral strategy at all tiers of response.