DRR at the Local Government Level in Pakistan

Abstract

After 2005 Kashmir earthquake, the Government of Pakistan has established national and provincial disaster management authorities and at local level district disaster management authority to handle the disaster risk management system. Under the Hyogo Framework for Actions, a paradigm shift from relief to risk assessment, preparedness and early warning systems is underway, emphasizing community resilience to disasters for hazard mitigation. It is fact that primary responsibility of protecting people and property from hazards rest on the national and local governments. It is the individuals, households and communities that are in the forefront of either escaping from or fighting against disasters. Though the national programs for disaster preparedness and mitigation are essential to save lives and protect livelihoods. This underscores the need for managing disaster risks at the community level. This chapter also discusses the key actors at national, provincial, district and local level and analyses the decentralization of disaster risk management institutions, and the role of local actors. This chapter is divided into ten sections, Sect. 14.2 describes the local government system in Pakistan, Sect. 14.3 elaborate the national disaster management authority and local government system in Pakistan, Sect. 14.4 focuses on the role of Provincial/State/FATA/Gilgit-Baltistan disaster management authorities in the local government, whereas DRR and district disaster management authorities has been discussed in Sect. 14.5, DRR at sub-district/Tehsil/Town level elaborated in Sect. 14.6 and DRR at union council level in Sect. 14.7. Community resilience and local government system analysed in Sect. 14.8, disaster resilience and local government in Sect. 14.9 and challenges and policy options in mainstreaming DRR at local level has been analysed in Sect. 14.10.