Wednesday November 16, 2016
Kabul (BNA) Afghanistan is a landlocked territory with possible occurrence of natural disasters including earthquakes, land slide, avalanche, storms, floods and heavy rains and snow falls, droughts etc… during winters.
Afghanistan is the twelfth seismically country in the world, 22nd country from the point of view of drought, 24th country from the perspective of floods, 30th in the world from the point of view of landslide and 82nd in the world from the point of view of storms.
The first Counter Disasters Authorities was established in 1352H.S (1973) during the presidency of late Mohammad Daud Khan when the Northern provinces were hit by acute drought. In the last 16 years National Disasters Management Authority has been activity operational within the Afghan government. But all its activities were restricted to post-incidents events and has never been involved in providing information on possible natural disasters to Afghan people. Lack of information is one of the basic challenges in counter disasters operations in Afghanistan while on time information is one of the basic conditions of success in the direction of war on natural disasters. Public awareness giving is not common in Afghanistan and people are never told what to do during occurrence of a natural disaster and how to help each other to avoid increase of casualties and damages.
In many countries with high possible natural disasters there are pre-quack warning alarm system while here, we lack such facility on occurring of a natural disaster. Now on the threshold of upcoming winter, natural disasters including landslide or heavy avalanches are possible with probable roads block of high ways and shortage of food stuff and essentials. It could be said that after security incidents, natural disasters take more victims from the Afghan people. According to deputy head of NDMA, this body mobilizes international aids of relief supply agencies and in case of disasters, send them to vulnerable areas and deserving people. There are provincial NDMA committees led by provincial governors supplied with a quantity of cash resources for emergency situations. Lack of modern resources and equipment is the biggest challenge ahead of NDMA. Due to vulnerability of Afghanistan against high possibility of disasters, international assistance have never been sufficient. For effective war against natural disasters, the Afghan government should provide essential resources to NDMA and undertake necessary programs on public awareness giving through media. A professional team of experts should study and assess all areas with possible vulnerability. Trees should be planted on mountain slopes because trees absorb humidity, make the land dry and prevent landslide.
Lailuma Noori
