Disaster management in Pakistan

Pakistan's largest metropolis and economic hub, Karachi, surrounded by numerous tectonically active faults, is ill-equipped to cope with seismic hazards. The city is vulnerable mainly due to inadequate construction techniques, lack of awareness, political will and scant historical seismic data. The existing disaster management policies often remain ineffective or unimplemented due to technical or financial constraints, shortage of trained personnel and weak information-sharing mechanisms. This research identifies such challenges in Karachi and explores the global disaster risk reduction initiatives from better prepared countries, whose implementation feasibility is assessed based on local economic, social, topographical and political circumstances. Shortlisting five fundamental aspects of disaster risk reduction, a multi-prong strategy is devised, addressing Karachi's vulnerability and exposure to both urban communities and slums. An earthquake early warning system model using cell broadcast technology is formulated, proposing to supplement the existing upgradable seismic network in Pakistan. This and other priority measures constituting the proposed strategy present a customised pragmatic approach of shifting from an emergency response paradigm towards prevention, mitigation and preparedness.