Islamabad, The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Balochistan have partnered to conduct a landmark flood simulation exercise in Quetta from November 15 to 17, 2023. This initiative, part of a series of Simulation Exercises (SimEx) across national and provincial levels, aims to bolster preparedness and response capabilities for various disaster scenarios.

According to Press Information Department (PID), the Simulation Exercises were inaugurated by Balochistan Caretaker Minister for Home and Tribal Affairs, Muhammad Zubair Jamali, who commended NDMA’s proactive approach in disaster management. The exercises include mock drills on preparedness and response for disasters like cyclones, forest fires, floods, and earthquakes, involving various syndicates from PDMA Balochistan, District Disaster Management Authorities, and NGOs.

The National Emergencies Operations Center (NEOC), a digital hub for proactive modeling, plays a crucial role in gathering and analyzing climate intelligence, social data, and geo-hazard mapping to predict disaster trajectories. This approach allows for the assessment of disaster risks and planning of responses. The first SimEx at the national level, conducted in March 2023 in Islamabad, proved successful in supporting disaster preparedness for the monsoon season.

The current exercise in Quetta is designed to examine technical-driven probabilistic occurrences of various emergencies and enable provincial departments and local administrations to develop comprehensive preparedness plans. Participants include emergency responders from NDMA, PDMA Balochistan, the Armed Forces, UN organizations, NGOs, and representatives of other coordinating departments, focusing on scenario-based tabletop exercises.