Islamabad: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has launched the second National Dialogue Platform on Anticipatory Action at its headquarters in Islamabad, with events scheduled for May 11-12, 2026, under the National Coordination Forum on Anticipatory Action. According to Press Information Department, this event is being organized in collaboration with several international organizations, including the World Food Programme (WFP), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Welthungerhilfe (WHH), Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Chairman NDMA, Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik, emphasized the importance of Standard Disaster Risk Reduction and Trigger-based Anticipatory Actions as part of the NDMA’s Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy 2025-2030. He highlighted the need for anticipatory actions to reduce disaster risks and minimize humanitarian and economic losses. By focusing on timely preparedness, early warning dissemination, and coordinated institutional responses, the NDMA aims to protect vulnerable communities from climate-induced hazards.
During the opening session, representatives from the WFP, German Red Cross, PRCS, FAO, and WHH shared insights on the importance of collaborative approaches to anticipatory action, preparedness mechanisms, and coordinated efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate-induced disasters in Pakistan. The forum also marked the soft launch of Pakistan’s National Anticipatory Action Strategy, which aims to provide a comprehensive framework for strengthening forecast-based early action and resilience-building against climate-related hazards.
The dialogue platform serves as a venue for stakeholders to exchange knowledge, discuss best practices, and review lessons learned from previous initiatives. It focuses on improving coordination mechanisms and integrating anticipatory action into national and provincial planning processes. The discussions also explore sustainable financing mechanisms, including public funding and climate finance.
Approximately 200 participants, including representatives from government institutions, UN agencies, humanitarian and development organizations, financial institutions, academia, and the private sector, are attending the two-day dialogue. The platform underscores Pakistan’s commitment to shifting from reactive disaster response to proactive anticipatory action in strengthening disaster resilience.