Chitral journalists orientated on disaster risk management

CHITRAL: Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) conducted a daylong media orientation workshop for journalists of Chitral.

The objective was to provide the participants with an opportunity to learn about Disaster Risk Management (DRM) and early warning systems.

The workshop was supported by the Strengthening Last Mile Communication Project (SLMC) funded by USAID- UCAR.

The media professionals and community representatives were told about the installation of an early warning system, natural disasters, especially floods and avalanches in the disaster-prone area of Chitral.

RIMES arranged the session with technical support from Pakistan Meteorological Department.

The DRM specialist, Amber Masud, said his organization is working with the Department of Meteorology to create a system for providing information on natural disasters in Shughur Valley in advance to the local community, district administration and other relevant institutions.

She added the system will be made effective by taking it together to minimize the loss, especially the loss of life in any natural calamity.

The workshop started with the opening remarks of a scholar Dr Inayatullah Faizi. He informed the participants about the traditional methods of forecasting practiced in Chitral and other areas since ancient times. Various sessions were at the awareness workshop in which Ghafoor Ahmed gave a presentation on the effects of natural calamities, risks and preparedness and measures to deal with natural calamities in Chitral.

Waseem, Deputy Director of the Department of Meteorology, talked about the procedure adopted in the matter of timely informing the public and related institutions about the weather situation and said that innovation is being brought in with time.