Skills imparted to villagers to respond to natural disasters

PESHAWAR: At least 45 male and 15 female participants hailing from various villages of the scenic Bahrain Valley of Swat districts attended a five-day seminar aimed at imparting them necessary skills and knowledge to effectively respond to natural disasters and build a resilient community.

The workshop on ‘community risk assessment’ was organised by Community Resilience Activity - North (CRA-North).It was aimed at restoring flood-affected infrastructure and building resilience in Panjigram, Swat. Representatives from Panjigram, Gulabad, and Dugiya villages attended the workshop.

Behrain Teshil Chairman, Mian Shahid Ali, Maaz Ikram from Irrigation Department were the guests of honour at the concluding ceremony of the event. During this workshop, various topics were discussed and activities were conducted to address hazards such as floods, earthquakes, landslides, avalanches, droughts, epidemics and pandemics, human-induced disasters, complex emergencies, and internally displaced persons.

The five-day training session included a Transit Walk, in which participants explored the community’s environmental and social resources, conditions, and systems through observation, inquiry, listening, and producing a transect diagram.

Mian Shahid Ali assured support for the activity and emphasized the importance of awareness in disaster management.He said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is taking steps on disaster risk management and encouraged other organizations to work together for this cause.

The community members appreciated the knowledge gained about disaster risk management and expressed readiness to work together towards minimizing the impact of natural hazards. Female participants highlighted the vulnerability of women and children during disasters and stressed the need to prioritize their safety.