TI Pakistan Advocates for Transparency and Accountability in Sindh Disaster Management Policy Review
Date: 20 January, 2025
Venue: Karachi

Karachi, January 20, 2025: Transparency International Pakistan (TI Pakistan) participated in a review meeting on the Sindh Disaster Management Policy (SDMP), organized by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Sindh at its headquarters in Karachi. The meeting, chaired by Mr. Imdad Hussain Siddiqui, Director (Operations), PDMA Sindh, brought together representatives from government departments, humanitarian organizations, and civil society to deliberate on strategies to strengthen disaster preparedness, response, and risk reduction across Sindh.

The session included Deputy Commissioners (Chairmen of District Disaster Management Authorities – DDMAs), senior officials from provincial departments, representatives of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), humanitarian agencies, and experts in disaster management. Key agenda items included:

Reviewing the draft Sindh Disaster Management Policy.

Enhancing coordination among DDMAs, PDMA, NDMA, and humanitarian organizations.

Mainstreaming climate adaptation measures into disaster management plans.

Ensuring inclusivity by prioritizing the needs of vulnerable groups, including women, children, and persons with disabilities.

On behalf of TI Pakistan, Ms. Raima Mehmood, Policy and Research Coordinator, shared critical recommendations to improve transparency, accountability, and community participation in disaster management processes under the draft SDMP. These recommendations included:

Establishing District and Union Disaster Management Committees (DDMCs and UDMCs) and appointing district focal persons to enhance local coordination.

Developing a centralized aid tracking and monitoring system managed by PDMA, with public access to details on project expenditures and activities.

Creating grievance redress mechanisms, including complaint hotlines and whistleblower protections, to address corruption and public concerns.

Conducting regular social audits, providing community training on climate resilience, and integrating advanced early warning systems.

Ensuring procurement transparency and compliance with Right to Information (RTI) laws, with audits published annually in Urdu for public accountability.

Ms. Mehmood emphasized that transparency and accountability are key to fostering trust among communities and stakeholders, ensuring disaster relief and resources reach those in need effectively and efficiently.