Planning Minister Chairs Meeting at NDRMF, Emphasizes Strategic Alignment and Innovation
Islamabad: The Planning Minister chaired a meeting at the National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF), attended by key officials including Secretary Planning Awais Sumra, Vice Chancellor of PIDE Dr. Nadeem Javaid, Chief Economist Dr. Raja Imtiaz, and other officials from the Planning Ministry.
During the meeting, the Executive Director of NDRMF briefed on the four strategic areas of focus for the organization: disaster risk reduction; climate and disaster risk financing; disaster preparedness and recovery institutionalization; knowledge creation, sharing and risk informed decision making.
The Minister emphasized the importance of clarity on the purpose and rationale behind NDRMF, asking stakeholders to be clear about the vision it was meant to materialize.
The Executive Director provided background on NDRMF, stating that it was established in 2016 with operations commencing in 2018. The organization currently manages a portfolio of 32 projects, initially funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and subsequently through grant funding. The Minister directed NDRMF to align itself with evolving areas in disaster risk management and to develop a 10-year business strategy.
The meeting was informed that NDRMF operates a NETCAT data center at NUST. The Executive Director highlighted ongoing work in climate financing, disaster risk financing, and financial insurance. The Minister stressed the need for NDRMF to explore innovative funding ways beyond the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).
The meeting was told that NDRMF conducts risk modeling of disasters. The Executive Director highlighted the difference between forecasting and risk modeling. It was also discussed that the reception of NDRMF projects in provinces is strong.
In response to the Minister’s query on project selection criteria, NDRMF stated that government bodies submit projects, which undergo project appraisals and are then presented to the technical advisory committee, which includes members from the Planning Ministry. Minister Ahsan Iqbal emphasized that project selection must be integrated with other provinces. NDRMF reported a substantial number of direct and indirect beneficiaries.
The Minister insisted that NDRMF must focus on high-impact projects that provide a competitive edge and unique advantage in the field of disaster management.
The Minister directed NDRMF to align its work with the 4RF strategy, a strategic policy document designed by the Planning Ministry in 2022 to guide Pakistan’s recovery from the devastating 2022 floods and build long-term resilience against future climate-related disasters.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
