DLP Report
PESHAWAR
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has formally launched the province’s first-ever Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Policy 2026, aimed at strengthening preparedness, prevention, mitigation and resilience against natural and climate-related disasters.
Developed by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) with support from the German government and GIZ Pakistan, the policy was launched at a ceremony in Peshawar attended by Provincial Information Minister Shafiullah Jan as the chief guest.
Secretary Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Department Sohail Khan, PDMA Director General Arifullah Awan, German government representative Dr Meriam Bodenbender and GIZ Pakistan’s Project Head for Adaptive Social Protection Johanna Knoess were among those attending the event.
Addressing the ceremony, speakers highlighted the growing threat posed by natural and climate-related disasters and called for a coordinated, proactive and long-term approach to disaster risk reduction.
In his presentation, PDMA Director General Arifullah Awan outlined the key objectives and features of the DRR Policy 2026, saying it provided a comprehensive framework to shift the provincial approach from responding to disasters to risk prevention, preparedness, mitigation and resilience-building.
He said the policy would strengthen coordination among government departments, public institutions, development partners and local communities. It would also support improved risk assessment, early warning systems, preparedness planning, public awareness and disaster-resilient development.
Information Minister Shafiullah Jan appreciated PDMA and all stakeholders involved in preparing the policy, saying climate change and other emerging challenges were increasing disaster risks and making effective disaster risk reduction essential for sustainable development.
He termed the launch of the province’s first DRR policy a significant achievement and appreciated the support extended by the German government and GIZ Pakistan.
The speakers stressed that effective implementation, strong institutional coordination and active participation of communities and other stakeholders would be crucial to achieving the objectives of the policy.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Shafiullah Jan distributed shields among officials, experts and representatives of partner organisations who contributed to the development and finalisation of the policy.
