The Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change on Monday recommended numerous measures to the government for coping with disasters as it said that Pakistan is among the most vulnerable to climate threats and recurrence of disasters is more likely in the coming years. Chaired by Senator Saeeda Iqbal, the Committee endorsed the proposals of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Dr. zafar Iqbal Qadir regarding the preparation of a comprehensive strategy and plans to avert and mitigate natural disasters. The Committee recommended to the government to launch massive awareness campaigns and update the curricula by including in it the subjects of disaster management, health and hygiene. Discussing the massive damage caused to schools during the 2005 earthquake, disasters due to rains and inferno at Karachi and Lahore factories, the Committee strongly recommended to making the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of every project as mandatory. Furthermore, the Committee supported to raise a Disaster Response Force, Schools Safety Program as 90,000 students were affected in the 2005 earthquake, introduction of disaster insurance and the establishment of a National Institute of Disaster Management. The members extended full support to the measures proposed by the NDMA and assured the Minister for Climate Change Rana Farooq Saeed Khan to support any legislation to this effect.
