The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has launched Pakistan’s first provincial Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Policy, introducing a five-year framework focused on preparing for and reducing the impact of disasters.
The policy was unveiled at a ceremony at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar, jointly organized by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and the Relief, Rehabilitation & Settlement Department.
The policy was developed with support from the German government through the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Addressing the ceremony on behalf of Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Information and Public Relations Minister Shafi Ullah Jan said the policy would shift the province from a reactive approach to disaster relief toward advance planning and risk prevention.
He said the government’s focus would be on protecting the lives and property of the province’s 40 million people through scientific risk assessment, preparedness and mitigation.
The five-year framework covers early warning systems, risk-based development planning, community resilience, disaster risk financing and Adaptive Social Protection, with particular attention to households vulnerable to climate and disaster-related shocks.
German Embassy Head of Cooperation Dr. Mirjam Büdenbender-Buchholz congratulated the provincial government and PDMA, saying growing disaster risks are being driven by population growth, informal settlements, weak land-use planning and deforestation.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary said disaster management must become a core part of government planning and development rather than being treated as a separate function.
GIZ Pakistan’s Head of Programme for Adaptive Social Protection, Johanna Knoess, said linking disaster management with social protection would help identify communities facing both poverty and exposure to disasters.
The Secretary of the Relief, Rehabilitation & Settlement Department said the policy marks the beginning of its implementation, with its success depending on coordination between government departments and other stakeholders.
The government said the policy aims to embed disaster preparedness, risk reduction, climate resilience and social protection into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s development and governance framework.
