Pakistan urges tech-driven disaster management at COP31 session
Officials stressed early warning systems, adaptation finance and technology transfer, and said wealthy nations must support countries with minimal emissions.
Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority held a session on innovative technologies at the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Türkiye, on Thursday, the state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
Lt. Gen. Muhammad Hassan Khattak, chairman of the NDMA, and Romina Khurshid Alam, coordinator to the prime minister on climate change, took part in the session held at the Pakistan Pavilion.
The session highlighted Pakistan's shift from a conventional disaster response to a proactive, technology-driven and anticipatory disaster risk management framework.
Khattak said the National Emergencies Operations Centre serves as the central platform for real-time hazard monitoring, risk assessment, early warning generation and nationwide coordination of disaster preparedness.
Pakistan said countries that contribute minimally to global emissions should not bear a disproportionate share of climate impacts without adequate international support.
Pakistan said sustained investment in adaptation, early warning systems, resilient infrastructure, advanced technologies, institutional capacity and community preparedness is critical to reducing disaster risks.
The session also stressed that equitable access to adaptation finance, technology transfer and international technical cooperation is essential to turning global climate commitments into tangible resilience.
Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to technology-enabled disaster risk reduction, stronger anticipatory action and early warning systems, and wider international cooperation on data, technology, institutional capacity and climate finance.
The NDMA is the federal body responsible for coordinating disaster preparedness and response across Pakistan, operating under the National Disaster Management Act of 2010.
Pakistan has faced repeated floods, droughts and heatwaves in recent years, and the devastating floods of 2022 caused widespread damage, which has strengthened the country's case for climate finance at international forums.
