Flood, 2011 – Islamabad, Pakistan

In March 2011 WWF, in cooperation with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and UNDP, conducted Green Recovery and Reconstruction Toolkit (GRRT) Trainings in Islamabad, including training on Disaster Risk Reduction and Livelihoods and a training session on Shelter issues.

Charles Kelly led the training team supported by WWF staff as well as trainers from CARE and DFID.  Participants included Diokonie Katastrophenhilfe, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Save the Children, Care International, Partner Aid International, Malaysian Relief Agency, Oxfam Novib, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, and National Rural Support Programme and several local NGOs.

Pre-disaster environmental degradation is frequently a contributing factor to vulnerability and exacerbates the overall devastation wrought by disasters, and can seriously limit the durability of recovery and reconstruction efforts. Humanitarian and conservation practitioners, government officials, local communities, and donor organizations can take steps to ensure reconstructed communities are built back safer through actively addressing environmental sustainability, reducing risk and vulnerability to future disasters, and adapting to the effects of our changing climate.

Fortunately the Pakistan government NDMA and National Institute for Disaster Management (NIDM) agree that the environment must be considered in the flood recovery and reconstruction. We have also had great response within the Shelter and Community Restoration sectors for mainstreaming environment into their on-going programs. We now seek to replicate these initial trainings in various provinces and districts to build long-term capacity in Pakistan by establishing a GRRT Training of Trainers program.