CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT & HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE WWW.CFE-DMHA.ORG PAKISTAN Disaster Management Reference Handbook June 2021 Acknowledgements CFE-DM would like to thank the following people/organizations for their knowledge and support in developing this resource: Dr. Saira Yamin, Professor, Daniel K. Inouye Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies (DKI-APCSS); Shazia Haris, Adviser for Media and Knowledge Management Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA), Adviser for Media, Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and Aluma, DKI- APCSS; USAID Pakistan, and USAID/BHA Teams at US CENTCOM and US INDOPACOM, including Albert Gembara, Rachel Gallagher, Mara Langevin, Paige Miller, and Kristin Pettersen. Front Cover Shrine in Multan, located in Pakistan’s Punjab Province. Photo by Umar Khan on Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/kyOthi68nMs Disclaimer This handbook has been prepared in good faith based on resources available at the time of publication. Information was gathered from the public domain, from local and government sources, as well as from subject matter experts. Where possible, a link to the original electronic source is provided in the endnote (reference) section at the end of the document. While making every attempt to ensure the information is relevant and accurate, the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM) does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or currency of the information in this publication. Each handbook is a working document and will be updated periodically as new, significant information becomes available. We hope that you find these handbooks informative, relevant, reliable, and useful in understanding disaster management and response for this country. We welcome and appreciate your feedback to improve this document and help fill any gaps to enhance its future utility. For feedback, comments, or to request a printed copy please email [email protected]. Please visit our website to download copies of this publication and other products (https://www.cfe-dmha.org). All parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval systems, and transmitted by any means without the written permission of the publisher. ISBN 978-1-955429-16-0 2 Center for Excellence in Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance Table of Contents Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................................. 2 Letter from the Director ........................................................................................................................ 6 About the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance .......................... 7 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................... 8 Country Overview ................................................................................................................................. 9 History ........................................................................................................................................................9 Culture and Demographics .......................................................................................................................12 Ethnic Makeup ...................................................................................................................................12 Key Population Centers ......................................................................................................................13 Language ............................................................................................................................................13 Religion ..............................................................................................................................................13 Vulnerable Groups .............................................................................................................................14 Economics.................................................................................................................................................20 Government .............................................................................................................................................21 Environment .............................................................................................................................................22 Geography ..........................................................................................................................................22 Borders ...............................................................................................................................................22 Climate ...............................................................................................................................................22 Disaster Overview ............................................................................................................................... 23 Climate Change ........................................................................................................................................23 Hazards .....................................................................................................................................................23 History of Natural Disasters ......................................................................................................................24 Country Risks ............................................................................................................................................27 Country Risk Profile ...........................................................................................................................27 Organizational Structure for Disaster Management ............................................................................. 29 Lead Government Agencies in Disaster Response ...................................................................................29 Disaster Relief and Emergency Response .................................................................................................31 Armed Forces Role in Disaster Relief .................................................................................................31 Disaster Management Partners .........................................................................................................32 The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement ...............................................................35 U.S. Government Agencies in Pakistan ..............................................................................................36 Laws, Policies, and Plans on Disaster Management .................................................................................37 Disaster Management Communications ..................................................................................................39 Early Warning Systems .......................................................................................................................39 Information Sharing ...........................................................................................................................41 Pakistan Disaster Management Reference Handbook | June 2021 3 Infrastructure ...................................................................................................................................... 46 Transport ..................................................................................................................................................46 Airports ..............................................................................................................................................46 Seaports .............................................................................................................................................46 Roads..................................................................................................................................................49 Railways .............................................................................................................................................51 Waterways .........................................................................................................................................51 Schools .....................................................................................................................................................51 Disaster Risk Reduction in the Education Sector ................................................................................54 Communications .......................................................................................................................................56 Utilities .....................................................................................................................................................60 Power .................................................................................................................................................60 Water and Sanitation .........................................................................................................................63 Health ................................................................................................................................................