Why Every Citizen Must Be Disaster-Ready

Andleeb Khan

Islamabad: Deadly floods, earthquakes, and landslides continue to claim thousands of lives in Pakistan, but experts warn that emergency response alone is not enough. The country’s mounting disaster toll highlights one urgent truth: citizens themselves must be equipped with lifesaving skills.

With over 60% of Pakistan’s population under 30, the youth can become a powerful first line of defense in times of crisis. Training them in first aid, CPR, rescue techniques, and evacuation drills could save countless lives in the critical minutes before professional help arrives.

Preparedness Over Response

At present, Pakistan’s disaster management remains largely response-oriented, says Dr. Junaid Ahmad, Executive Engineer at the Punjab Irrigation Department. “Preparedness is overlooked and mitigation almost ignored,” he told APP. He emphasized training the public in flood warnings, first aid, and evacuation procedures.

The 2022 floods illustrated these gaps. Many victims died not only from drowning but also from snake bites and untreated injuries. Dr. Ahmad suggested training volunteers at the local level with stipends so they can act as first responders and ease the pressure on official rescue teams.

He proposed permanent disaster committees at the union council or district level, linked with NDMA and aid agencies, to keep local data updated and improve coordination.

Lessons From the Past

Pakistan’s disaster history offers sharp contrasts. The 2010 floods, which affected 20 million people and caused $10 billion in damages, revealed severe coordination failures—aid often missed the worst-hit areas. By contrast, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake response was more effective due to closer army-NGO-community collaboration.

“Disaster response must not depend on luck or improvisation. It requires systems, drills, and public readiness,” Dr. Ahmad stressed.

Training That Saves Lives

Survival often comes down to the first few minutes, says Zulfiqar, General Manager Communications at SIEHS-1122. “A high-quality CPR can double survival chances, yet every minute without it reduces survival by 10%.”

Rescue 1122’s Community Awareness Program (CAP) already trains citizens in CPR, firefighting, and first aid. “Communities are usually the first responders,” noted Sadam Baig, former Fire and Safety Officer of Rescue 1122 Gilgit-Baltistan. “That makes public training essential, especially as disasters and traffic accidents rise.”

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In many flood-prone areas, experts urge that swimming and evacuation training be introduced in schools. “In Japan, children practice drills from an early age. In Sindh and southern Punjab, many children drowned in 2022 simply because they couldn’t swim or recognize danger zones,” Dr. Ahmad said.

Beyond Response: Building Resilience

Pakistan’s 2022 floods displaced 33 million people, killed over 1,100, and caused $30 billion in losses, according to the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment.

Dr. Ahmad stressed that mitigation could significantly reduce risks. Examples include:

Levees, reservoirs, and floodplains to manage river floods.

Upstream reforestation to reduce downstream flooding.

Zoning laws to prevent settlements in danger zones.

Green infrastructure in cities, where clogged drains and over-paved surfaces worsen flooding.

“Every $1 invested in mitigation saves $4–7 in recovery,” he noted, citing FEMA studies.

He pointed to the Netherlands’ “Room for the River” and Singapore’s ABC Waters Program as models of urban flood management worth replicating.

Learning From the World

Other countries actively prepare citizens for disasters:

Japan: earthquake and tsunami drills for schoolchildren.

United States: Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) programs to train local volunteers.

Germany: civil defense drills and mandatory household emergency supplies.

Australia: bushfire survival training in high-risk areas.

South Korea: nationwide simulations and school-based emergency education.

These initiatives make communities more resilient and speed up recovery when disaster strikes.

Experts stress that in Pakistan, emergency preparedness cannot remain an ad-hoc or individual effort. It must be embedded in a coordinated national action plan.

This means:

Public training in CPR, first aid, and evacuation.

School-based drills and swimming lessons in high-risk areas.

Community preparedness programs with stipends for volunteers.

Integration with NDMA and local disaster committees.

Accountability for urban planning and mitigation investments.

When Every Second Counts

From Japan to Germany, governments treat citizens not as passive victims but as active first responders. Pakistan too must embrace this shift.

As Dr. Ahmad concluded: “Teach people to save lives before help arrives. Prepared citizens can turn disaster’s first minutes from tragedy into survival.”

In a country as disaster-prone as Pakistan, when seconds count, preparedness can mean the difference between life and death.