Mott MacDonald helps provide disaster risk reduction in Pakistan
Mott MacDonald has been appointed by the Department for International Development-funded Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) to provide technical assistance to Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) for a climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction project in Punjab, Pakistan.
In 2010 the Punjab province was affected by catastrophic floods. Since then the PDMA has been managing the post disaster reconstruction programme. As part of this programme ‘model villages’ which include schools, houses, health centres and other community infrastructure to replace those destroyed by the floods are being developed. The Government of Punjab is proposing to develop similar villages in the region, which will be exemplars for reconstruction in other flood-affected communities. These will show how such villages can be better planned, built to higher standards and with improved community infrastructure and facilities.
Mott MacDonald is providing practical planning tools and guidance to improve the climate compatibility of post disaster reconstruction and the model villages. This includes reviewing and reporting on sample model village plans, as well as offering recommendations on how to improve the resilience of spaces and structures to future extreme climate events.
The consultancy will also provide a hazard map for Punjab province, reconstruction guidelines in English and Urdu and a policy guidance paper for the Government of Punjab. This will summarise lessons, contain recommendations and policy briefs, and will also include dissemination material for national, regional and global stakeholders.
Mott MacDonald’s project director, Simon Howarth said: “Pakistan currently has few guidelines for disaster risk reduction in the construction sector. We hope the project will enable the country to establish effective policy and give rural poor and local decision makers the knowledge needed to reduce the risk of a repeat of the catastrophe brought by last year’s floods.”
“The project builds on our extensive track record of reducing Pakistan’s vulnerability to floods and other natural disasters and showcases our climate change and adaptation strategy skills and ability to deliver practical solutions,” added Simon.
“CDKN responded to a request for support from the Government of Pakistan to ‘build back better’ after last year’s devastating floods,” said Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, CDKN’s Asia Director, based at independent non-governmental organisation LEAD Pakistan. “Not only is this a strategic project for Pakistan, it is also a test-case for climate compatible development that promises to offer lessons for the international community dealing with adaptation.”
The project is due for completion in March 2012.
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Notes for editors
1. About Mott MacDonald
Mott MacDonald is a global management, engineering and development consultancy with more than 14,000 staff, £1 billion revenue and work in 140 countries for the public and private sectors. The employee-owned company is ranked 13th in the 2011 Sunday Times 25 Best Big Companies to Work For survey and was awarded Engineering Consultant of the Year at the 2011 Building Awards. Mott MacDonald’s core business sectors cover buildings, transport, energy, water, environment, health, education, industry, oil and gas, communications and international development.
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2. About the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN)
CDKN is an alliance of six private and non-governmental organisations operating across Asia, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean, with a global office in London, UK. They are: PricewaterhouseCoopers, Overseas Development Institute, LEAD (International and Pakistan), SouthSouthNorth, Fundacion Futuro Latinoamericano, and INTRAC. CDKN supports developing country decision-makers in designing and delivering climate compatible development. It does this by combining research, advisory services and knowledge-sharing in support of locally owned and managed policy processes. CDKN works in partnership with decision-makers in the public, private and non-governmental sectors nationally, regionally and globally. CDKN was established by the UK Government’s Department For International Development in March 2010 for an initial five-year period, and now also receives funding from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This document is an output from a project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) for the benefit of developing countries. However, the views expressed and information contained in it are not necessarily those of or endorsed by DFID, which can accept no responsibility for such views or information or for any reliance placed on them. This publication has been prepared for general guidance on matters of interest only, and does not constitute professional advice. You should not act upon the information contained in this publication without obtaining specific professional advice. No representation or warranty (express or implied) is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this publication, and, to the extent permitted by law, the Climate and Development Knowledge Network’s members, the UK Department for International Development (‘DFID’), their advisors and the authors and distributors of this publication do not accept or assume any liability, responsibility or duty of care for any consequences of you or anyone else acting, or refraining to act, in reliance on the information contained in this publication or for any decision based on it.
Media Enquires:
Christina de Burgh-Milne or Tom Smith on +44 (0) 208 774 3639/2205 or email christina.deburgh-milne@mottmac.com See: www.mottmac.com
Dina Khan by email dina.khan@cdkn.org (for details of the Punjab disaster risk reduction project) See: www.cdkn.org/regions/asia
Mairi Dupar on +44 (0)7921 088475 or email mairi.dupar@cdkn.org (for general information about CDKN) See: www.cdkn.org
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