ANTALYA:National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Pakistan, organized a high-level session titled 'Leveraging Innovative Technologies in Proactive Disaster Management' at the Pakistan Pavilion during the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31), being held in Antalya, Trkiye.
The session featured Chairman NDMA, Lt Gen Muhammad Hassan Khattak, HI (M); Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change; Dr. Abid Qayyum Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI and Chairman, NDRMF Board; Dr. Corinne Hartin, Director of Science and Science Policy at SilverLining; and Rado Ravonjiarivelo, Chief of Party at Catholic Relief Services.
The engagement highlighted Pakistan's transition from a conventional disaster response approach towards a proactive, technology-driven and anticipatory disaster risk management framework. It also provided an international platform to articulate Pakistan's position on climate vulnerability, adaptation, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), technology transfer and the need for enhanced international climate financing.
Emphasizing Pakistan's disproportionate exposure to climate change despite its minimal contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, the session highlighted the devastating impact of the 2022 floods, which affected approximately 33 million people and caused over USD 30 billion in damages and economic losses. The experience underscored that disaster preparedness and climate adaptation are no longer optional but essential to protecting lives, livelihoods and national development gains.
Chairman NDMA highlighted the National Emergencies Operations Centre (NEOC) as the central platform for real-time hazard monitoring, risk assessment, early warning generation and nationwide coordination of disaster preparedness. He explained how satellite observations, remote sensing, weather forecasts, ground data and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled analytics are integrated to identify emerging hazards, assess exposed populations and critical infrastructure, and generate impact-based advisories for Provincial and District Disaster Management Authorities and relevant line departments.
The discussion emphasized that technology alone cannot deliver resilience unless effectively translated into actionable plans, institutional preparedness, adequate resources and community-level interventions. Strengthening the capacity of provincial and district authorities, particularly in vulnerable regions, remains essential to ensuring that early warnings lead to timely and effective action on the ground.
A key message of Pakistan's engagement at COP31 was the urgent need for enhanced, predictable and accessible international climate financing, particularly for climate-vulnerable developing countries. Pakistan stressed that countries contributing minimally to global emissions should not bear a disproportionate burden of climate impacts without adequate international support. Sustained investment in climate adaptation, early warning systems, resilient infrastructure, advanced technologies, institutional capacity building and community preparedness is critical to reducing disaster risks and safeguarding development gains. Equitable access to adaptation finance, technology transfer and international technical cooperation was emphasized as essential to translating global climate commitments into tangible resilience outcomes.
Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to advancing technology-enabled Disaster Risk Reduction, strengthening anticipatory action and early warning systems, and promoting international cooperation on data, technology, institutional capacity and climate finance.