Striving for safer lives and disaster resilient communities in Pakistan

Pakistan is a disaster-prone country due to geo-physical conditions, climatic extremes and a high degree of exposure and vulnerability. The earthquake in 2005 and recurring floods since 2010 are some of the the most significant disasters over the last few years. The losses could have been reduced if the population had been less vulnerable and more resilient, and had the mitigation planning been appropriately implemented at that time. In order to assist the Government of Pakistan (GoP) in its effort to minimise the impact of disasters and build resilience of the local communities, the SDC is focusing on the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) under its ‘Water Governance’ domain.

1. Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR)

In partnership with World Food Programme-Pakistan (WFP), the SDC successfully implemented the Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) project to enhance community resilience in a risk-prone area of Chail

Valley in District Swat. Replicating the successful model, a similar project was launched in Bajaur and Mohmand agencies of FATA.

The project aims to reduce food insecurity and enhance resilience of the returning ‘Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs) towards natural hazards (particularly floods) through DRR-related Cash-for-Work activities. It is based on a holistic concept of protection of the valley through watershed management, construction of disaster mitigation structures, and training on disaster risk management. To ensure sustainability, the project also aims that the relevant government departments have increased ownership and adapt the DRR practices in their work. About 15,000 households (or more than 120,000 persons) will directly benefit through the project interventions whereas several thousand people have already benefited indirectly from the prevention and mitigation measures.

2. Institutionalization of Disaster Risk Management (DRM) in FATA

FATA DRM plan is not yet developed, and as a result the DRR related activities in FATA are often ad-hoc and nonstrategic. Together with CARE International, the SDC supported the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in developing a DRM Roadmap. Capitalizing on this experience, the SDC is supporting the FATA Disaster Management

Total Budget: USD 1,500,000Time Frame: 24 monthsDates: Dec 2015 to December 2017Partner: Holistic Understanding for Justified Research and Action (HUJRA)

Retaining walls ©SDC

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)

The Impact

The DRR activities of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid are contributing to the enhanced resilience of the population, which is mandated to help save human lives where they are at risk and to alleviate suffering through preventive measures and relief. The primary focus is on the victims of natural and man made disasters. Reducing disaster risk is one of the priority areas for the period 2017-2020. The DRR is also a priority topic of the Government of Pakistan, which has initiated a number of policy level interventions to successfully incorporate this component. Similarly, the DRR is in line with almost all of the Sustainable Development Goals, but more specifically Goal 13 i.e. that prompts governments to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impact.

The SDC promoted DRR projects have received considerable appreciation from government authorities as well as from other donors, some of which have even replicated the CBDRR project in other parts of the country (e.g. Sindh, Punjab).

In order to capitalize the knowledge, SDC regularly participates in the National DRR forum as observer. Furthermore, SDC incorporates DRR as a transversal theme in its programmes under water governance and local state building domains.

Total Budget: USD 530,000Time Frame: 17 monthsDates: Dec 2016 to June 2018Partner: Care International Pakistan Total Budget: USD 3,000,000

Time Frame: 28 monthsDates: June 2017 to Nov 2019Partner: Asian Development Bank ADB

Authority (FDMA) in the development of a DRM Plan and institutionalization of DRM theme within the FATA Secretariat.

This project aims to enhance the resilience of the FATA people to disasters through integration of disaster risk reduction in the recovery and development projects. It also aims to strengthen the institutional and technical capacity of FDMA in disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response. The DRM Plan will be implemented in Bajaur Agency of FATA to enable the government authorities to have the practical experience of fully adopting the approach for further scaling it up in the whole of FATA region.

3. Capacity building of the Government Authorities and the United Nations

This component aims to enhance the institutional capacity of the national and provincial government authorities in the field of disaster risk reduction and management. The SDC financially supports the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) at the federal level, and provides DRR knowledge expertise to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

In addition, the SDC supports WFP Pakistan through international expert secondment for their DRR strategic programming. The technical knowhow of the DRR experts helps in activities that aim to support tens of thousands of Pakistani communities.

4. National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF)

The SDC foresees contributing to the National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) established by the Government of Pakistan. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided loan facility to the fund while the government and other notable donors have also made a contribution. The Economic Affairs Division (EAD) of the Ministry of Finance will execute the fund under the oversight and guidance of the

ADB. The overall objective of the fund is to align the National Disaster Management Plan (2013-2022) and National Flood Protection Plan (2016-2025) to have a more disaster resilient Pakistan with reduced socio-economic and fiscal vulnerability to natural hazards, climate variability and change.

Further information

Embassy of Switzerland

Swiss Cooperation Office in Pakistan

House 3, Street 3, F 6/3, Islamabad

Phone: +92 51 2077 900

Fax: +92 51 2824 872

E-mail: islamabad@eda.admin.ch

Web info: https://www.fdfa.admin.ch/pakistan

https://www.facebook.com/SwitzerlandinPakistan/