On 17th November 2025 PODA staff concluded a 15-day capacity development training on climate change and disaster management held at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) of the National Disaster Management Authority in Islamabad. The course, delivered from 27 October to 14 November 2025, aimed to strengthen practical skills and institutional coordination in disaster management for professionals working across humanitarian response and community resilience in Pakistan.
PODA participants exchanged insights from the organisation’s community-centred initiatives including humanitarian response, climate education and women’s leadership programmes. A key presentation highlighted cultural considerations in humanitarian response, stressing that understanding local customs, beliefs and community dynamics is essential for effective and respectful assistance. The presentation illustrated how culturally informed approaches supported flood-affected families, built trust and improved the impact of relief efforts.
Senior experts from NDMA and the National Institute of Disaster Management led technical and strategic sessions covering NDMA’s institutional functions, national response mechanisms and coordination frameworks alongside core Disaster Risk Reduction concepts. The programme explored Pakistan’s hazard profile, anticipatory action and community-based approaches while emphasising operational preparedness through search and rescue, rapid needs assessment, simulation exercises and emergency planning to enhance on-the-ground readiness.
Participants received hands-on technical training on emerging tools used in disaster management including remote sensing, GIS applications, metadata importance and image processing. Risk communication and media management sessions addressed multi-channel community engagement and crisis narratives. Climate change implications for infrastructure resilience were linked to national and international policy frameworks, and a practical exposure visit to SUPARCO headquarters provided direct insight into advanced technologies supporting national disaster systems.
The training reinforced cross-agency collaboration and practical capacity for disaster management in the Pakistani context, and certificates were distributed to participants at the course conclusion, recognising their readiness to apply lessons in field operations and community resilience programmes.
