The Centre of Excellence for Trauma and Emergencies (CETE) at Aga Khan University (AKU), in collaboration with the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), convened a stakeholder meeting under its 'Heat Emergency Awareness and Treatment' project. Funded by Elrha, the project aims to address the escalating threat of extreme heat events in Pakistan through public awareness, exposure treatment strategies and the development of a comprehensive Heat Plan to mitigate the impact of climate change.
The meeting brought together high-profile officials including Assistant Commissioners, Additional Deputy Commissioners, and District Health Officers from various districts across Sindh. Among the notable participants were Dr Sardar Sarfaraz, Chief Meteorologist of the Pakistan Meteorological Department; Imdad Hussain Siddiqui, Director of Operations at PDMA; and representatives from Rescue 1122 and Sindh Integrated Emergency and Health Services. The presence of these key players highlights the urgency and importance of a unified approach to tackling heatwaves in the region.
“Extreme heat is a rapidly growing public health crisis, especially for cities in Pakistan," said Dr Junaid Razzak, Director, CETE. “Given its impact, cities need to have clear action plans with well defined triggers. We look forward to partnering with PDMA and other partners to provide necessary technical support to develop such plans."
A consensus was reached on the need for a more effective and institutionalized District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), enhanced coordination on heatwave management across districts and a stronger focus to launch an effective communication campaign between government departments and non-profit organizations. All stakeholders agreed to regular meetings to tackle this issue and were on board with the development of a Heatwave Management Plan for adversely affected districts.
Dr Sardar Sarfaraz, Chief Meteorologist, Pakistan Meteorological Department stated, "We need to understand the phenomenon of heatwaves and how they are generated. It's not only the daytime temperature that triggers a heatwave alert; heatwaves are complex events influenced by various factors. Comprehensive understanding and monitoring of these elements are crucial for effective heatwave management and timely alerts."
Imdad Hussain Siddiqui, Director of Operations at PDMA added, "AKU has taken a big step in gathering different stakeholders under one roof on a very important topic, and this should be a continuous process."
As part of the grant, CETE has developed an animated awareness video on heat emergencies and their management, which is being disseminated via social media channels to educate the public.
