Ahmed Hasan Alvi, daily Dawn, is speaking on Disaster Reporting in

• Date: November 24-25, 1999
• Venue: Hotel Capital Inn, Islamabad. Pakistan
• Organising agency: Journalists Resource Centre (JRC)
• Supported by the Conflict and Humanitarian Affairs Dept of DFID UK (CHAD-DFID UK)  
• Collaboration: ITDG Sri Lanka, former Duryog Nivaran Secretariat

Duryog Nivaran (Duryog Nivaran is a network on disaster mitigation in South Asia) and Disaster Mitigation Institute (India) organised a regional Policy Forum on "South Asian Disasters: Future of Mitigation" in New Delhi, India, on 5-6 February 1999. A special session of this conference was allocated to bring the prevailing media responses towards disasters in focus. Papers from each of the South Asian countries were presented there to give the country-specific overview of media dealing with disaster. During discussion the need to sensitise media in the case of disaster reporting was also recognised unanimously. It was deliberated that alternative channels of communication must be invoked to forge and strengthen a holistic strategy of disaster mitigation in the countries of South Asia. 
 

L-R: Mohammad Tanveer, ED JRC, Ali Hasan Alvi, daily Dawn and Fauzia Shahid, General Secretary PFUJ during a Q & A session.

To proceed with the issues in consent, a South Asia Media Group on Disaster Mitigation was formed to develop linkages, disseminate information and strengthen alternative perspective on disaster mitigation.

It was also suggested that incorporation of local knowledge systems in mainstream planning should be accredited, specifically in disaster mitigation matters.
A South Asian perspective to understand disaster and vulnerability could become fully feathered by documenting and sharing the local wisdom behind centuries’ old strategies adopted by the indigenous communities. As a result, an advice for integrated intervention in disaster prevention and vulnerability reduction can be offered to the mainstream planning. 
 
 
 

L-R: Fauzia Shahid, PFUJ, Amjad Bhatti, JRC Islamabad and C.R.Shamsee, SVP PFUJ, at the closing session of the workshop.

Aims and objectives 

Two days National Workshop on Disaster Reporting in Pakistan is an effort to realise such an understanding of media’s intervention. The understanding - more specifically speaking - is to;

1. Realise potential of available media resources in Pakistan to mitigate disaster. 
2. Create an interface between media and disaster mitigation efforts in the country.
3. Engage mainstream Pakistani media people in disaster mitigation process.
4. Professionally build capacity of the journalists.
5. Train journalists as to how they might be more contributory to the social sector in general and the disaster mitigation in particular.
6. Create systemic engagement among media, disaster mitigation experts and concerned departments of the government.
7. Establish a national media group of disaster mitigation to effectively report, monitor disaster occurrences in Pakistan, and train district correspondents who are generally more close to such happenings. 
8. Try to create more conducive environment for journalists working on disaster. 

Wednesday, November 24, 1999: 

“The rich of the country have depleted existing natural resources allowing more frequent natural disaster occurrences in Pakistan,” Mr Omar Asghar Khan, Federal Minister for local bodies, labour, manpower and environment stated this while addressing the two-day training workshop on Disaster Reporting in

It was organised by Journalists Resource Centre with the collaboration of South Asia Media Group on Disaster Mitigation.

The federal minister maintained that natural disasters occur owing to natural phenomena, but the human beings are in fact increasing the impetus of depletion and frequencies of disasters. He said that the rich should be held accountable for their deeds as they have plundered the resources that naturally prevented disaster occurrences. Substantiating the argument, he quoted that according to one survey 30 per cent of the suspended NWFP provincial assembly belonged to timber Mafia. They were engaged in plundering the forests that provide a natural safeguard against floods and maintain ecological balance.
 

Rafiq Ahmed, Feica, sharing his experience on disaster reporting as an artist with the participants of the workshop.

He also informed that due to illegal harvesting in the area, almost 50 bridges were hit by the illegally stored logs during a single flood season. While linking the natural disasters with social disasters that have been experienced by the people of Pakistan throughout the decades, he said that lands and forest resources are owned by a few owing to the political system and legal framework. He pledged that the present regime would ensure devolution of power from centre to the lowest possible ebb of society following the 'principle of subsidiarity'.

Criticising the general attitude of the people, he said that every one of us wants to be a Chaudhry or a Khan and because of this status consciousness and unnecessary protocol of the public, the responsible authorities are made victim to a delusion of grandeur.
 
 
 

Smiling faces of workshop: Group photo of the workshop participants and organizers.

Mr Omar Asghar stressed on responsible journalism. He asked journalists to chalk out a code of conduct and that the press should focus the real issues. Responding to a question, he conceded that the state machinery had not been responsive enough to counter the disaster occurrences. Despite the forecast of surplus cotton, more cotton was imported from abroad due to the issuance of Special Regulatory Orders by the ministries. To another question he said that ensuring a free flow of information for public audit could bring about positive changes, so that the public assets might not be plundered or sold out for peanuts. He further said that the authorities responsible for action should ensure preventive checks against disaster.
Mohammad Munir Sheikh, Director National Flood Forecasting Bureau told the workshop participants about kinds of disasters and the actions of the government to combat the exigencies as a result of a disaster. He said that the forecast could never be thoroughly accurate, as even in the developed countries the forecast might occasionally prove wrong.

Giving details of the available infra-structure for forecasting, early warnings and reporting, he told that there were 73 different observatories all over the country but the government has been facing difficulties in providing staff in remote areas. He said that the cyclone in Thatta and Badin was forecasted in advance but the provincial government took no measures to evacuate the area and the people did not take the forecast seriously. He said that despite deviations, the accuracy of the forecasts is improving.

Chief Engineer Federal Flood Commission, Mr Asjad Imtiaz said that the level of trust between the affectees and the concerned departments is very important. He urged media to play its due role in developing trust between the people and the government agencies responsible for disaster mitigation and informed the audience that the relief activities are a provincial matter. He said the federal department is only responsible for arranging the funds for the provinces, which are handed over to the authorities before the flood season.

He also appreciated journalists' efforts at disaster mitigation in Pakistan and said that the government would welcome their proposals in this regard. 
General Secretary Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Ms. Fouzia Shahid, while praising the efforts to arrange a healthy debate for the first time on an issue of prime importance, said that the media and government departments working for disaster mitigation should have more contacts with each other in the future.

She said that political matters rather statements of the politicians, to be precise, are being highlighted in the media at the cost of social issues, despite that they are more relevant to the ordinary and poor people of our country. She stressed that the audit of the funds allocated for disaster mitigation handed over to the provincial governments and preventive measures should be taken instead of waiting for the disaster to come.

Ms Fauzia Tanveer, while presenting a case study about a village that became part of the river Chenab due to non-action of the concerned groups and departments, pointed out the changes in the livelihood patterns as result of disaster.
She deplored that media had not been effective to properly report the issue. She said that most of the reporters seem interested in reporting the relief measures taken by the government instead of the disaster. She also regretted the shortage of space given by the mainstream media to the disasters taking place in the smaller cities, towns and villages.

Thursday, November 25, 1999: 

A nation-wide Media Group for Disaster Mitigation was finally formed, at the concluding session of the workshop, to monitor disaster mitigation in the country and to provide training to the journalists at district level for objective reporting of disaster, its impact and the mitigation efforts. 

The group would be co-ordinated by Ijaz Ahmed, senior reporter of the news agency Pakistan Press International (PPI), and comprise representatives of concerned government agencies, experts on disaster mitigation and journalists from all over the country. The group would conduct researches and training workshops and the proceedings would be published in the form of a book on disaster mitigation in The areas that would be focussed in the research and training workshops would include impact of disaster on development; rehabilitation of affectees; problems facing government agencies in prevention against disaster before and rehabilitation afterwards; the state responsibility; and the role of media in reporting pre-disaster and post-disaster state of affairs. The participants also suggested that the group should bring out publications in Urdu and Sindhi for a greater outreach.

Earlier, senior journalist, Ahmed Hasan Alvi, while speaking on disaster reporting in Pakistan, maintained that it was responsibility of the newspaper management and government to provide the journalists with adequate facilities and funds for disaster reporting. He said that in most of the cases the journalists focus on mitigation efforts rather than the event. Since the government sponsors the trips, the journalists only record the government efforts and not the sufferings of the affectees.

He emphasised that the journalists should rethink their priorities, while reporting a disaster. He pointed out that the coverage of international media was better as there was a competition among various newspaper organisations and agencies, the dearth of which depletes the quality of reporting in He said that along with the facilities, the life of the journalists engaged in disaster reporting should be insured. Comparing the working conditions of the local journalists with that of the foreign journalists, he said that the foreign journalists are provided with lucrative salaries and appropriate facilities, which also ensures quality reporting. He stressed that journalists should also avoid sensationalism while reporting disasters. He lamented that some of the journalists have reduced their role to that of clerks and they feel lesser professional and social responsibilities.

General Secretary of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Ms Fouzia Shahid while emphasising the need to imparting more awareness about disaster reporting lauded the two Pakistani journalists who gave their lives in the line of duty in recent years while covering disaster events. She also said that now when political engagements are out of schedule, journalists can better cover issues of social relevance to the ordinary people.

Amjad Bhatti presented his paper on as to how to report impact of disasters on social sector and illuminated them with techniques of disaster reporting. Senior Vice President of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) C. R. Shamsi, Secretary of the Rawalpindi/Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) Najam Usmani, famous political cartoonist Feica and Executive Director of the JRC, Mohammad Tanveer also spoke on the occasion.

Proceedings & critical issues 

Need of media intervention: The Executive Director of Journalists Resource Centre, Mohammad Tanveer, while presenting the objectives of the workshop in the first session, pointed out that disaster coverage by media in Pakistan has not been up to the mark. The journalists only focus on the relief packages, state actions and logistics in their reports and they tend to ignore the socio-economic aftermath of the disasters. Any preventive action against disasters and minimising of loss is possible only if the disasters are reported properly.

Disaster for the vulnerable: Federal Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Omar Asghar Khan, maintained that the disasters are caused by the natural imbalances but the human acts are making this world more prone to disasters. Disasters are happening everywhere in Pakistan, in the form of soil erosion, land depletion, water-logging and salinity, but the mainstream media is oblivious to these upcoming disasters.

The minister observed that the rich have contributed more to the depletion of natural resources, which act as a bulwark against natural disasters. According to the statistics quoted by the minister, almost 30 percent of the members of NWFP assembly belong to Timber Mafia who are engaged in illegal harvesting and thus adding to the ecological depletion.

The minister stressed that the forests and land resources have been monopolised by a few, who misuse and abuse them for their vested interests. These resources cannot be prevented from further depletion unless they are distributed equitably among the people. The real owners of these resources have to be empowered. They should have authority, power and share in these resources. The possession of these resources would prompt people’s participation in protecting the environment. He further stressed on the need for engaging natural checks to counter natural disasters.

The minister, while admitting the lack of responsiveness on the part of the past governments, urged the mainstream media and the civil society to act as watchdogs on the state actions, so that the constant monitoring could facilitate the state in combating natural and social disasters. He, however, conceded that incentives for working journalists are very less, hence lack of motivation to cover social issues. Also, the curriculum set by departments of mass communication require over-hauling, and be prepared with practical journalism rather than being only class based. 

The minister also urged the concerned government departments to make the information free for the public, so that the people may know before hand, what the government has in store for them.

Appropriation of disaster mitigation funds: One of the participant journalists, Mohsin Babbar, questioned the minister about the visits of the dignitaries and government officials to the site of disaster on which millions of rupees are spent. He maintained that these visits might have political significance for the visitors, but they provide a little relief to the affectees.

The minister reproached that the risk analysis in terms of environment is not calculated before executing a public project. He substantiated his argument by quoting the example of -Islamabad motorway, which has been made east-west, whereas the water-flow is north-south, and thus the erosion of the road is going to be at a faster rate.

Forecasting, early warning, reporting procedure, and types of disasters in Pakistan: Mohammad Munir Sheikh, Chief Meteorologist/ Director National Flood Forecasting Bureau, Pakistan Meteorological Department, while presenting his paper, elaborated on the various kinds of natural disasters in

Mr Sheikh, while discussing the mechanisms available for forecast, early-warnings and reporting, highlighted the lack of co-ordination among government departments, which aggravate the losses in case of a disaster. Quoting an example he claimed that the 1992 flood forecast was made much before hand and the Mangla Dam authorities were asked to open the gates of dam to channelise the water surge. But the dam authorities refused to respond. It was in 1998 that the Dam management was linked with Meteorological Department.

The director informed the participants of the workshop that there are as many as 73 Mett. observatories all over Pakistan; and with the help of satellite pictures and weather radar, the forecasting is being made close to accurate.

To a question about the authenticity of the forecast, the director maintained that even in the developed countries the weather forecast could not be accurate at all the times.

Pointing out the difficulties facing the government departments in improving the forecast and early-warning mechanisms, the director mentioned the lack of human resources and absence of equipment maintenance as the basic problems.

To a comment about the cyclone in Sindh, the director maintained that the forecast of the cyclone had been made but the Sindh provincial government refused to carry the alarm as they thought it will create panic among the people. Also, the attitude of the general populace became a hindrance for they are accustomed not to believe such news rather take necessary actions only when they are in a state of emergency.

Ms. Fozia Tanveer, an independent researcher, questioned the inability of the government departments to evacuate the disaster stricken area, which resulted in great loss of lives. She furthered her argument by quoting the minimal loss sustained in Gujrat due to timely intervention of the Indian government in evacuating the area.

The functioning of flood relief agencies: Chief Engineer Federal Flood Commission, Mr. Asjad Imtiaz, speaking on the role of Federal Flood Commission in flood management, clarified that the flood commission has nothing to do with the relief job. It is only responsible for policy level decision making, structuring of the system, and arranging funds from the foreign donor agencies.

The chief engineer maintained that the increased loss sustained as a result of disasters owes a great deal to the attitudes of the people. People tend to forget the results of the previous disaster and they underestimate the damage resulted from them. Then, the population along river sides have also been multiplied to further damage the disaster mitigation mechanisms.

He conferred to the lack of resources which do not allow free mitigation for disasters, however, the government agencies are trying hard to minimise the adverse effects of disaster.

Amjad Bhatti, the co-ordinator of Journalists Resource Centre, Islamabad, raised a question about the distribution of lands by the former Prime Minister in hazard-prone areas in Thattha and if the government departments were aware of the lands being hazard-prone.

Mr Imtiaz, laying aside the political correctness or incorrectness of the distribution, maintained that hazard mapping has started in Pakistan only six years back.

The chief engineer also suggested that some legislative reforms to stop people from stationing at the river-banks, but the idea was resisted by the participants of the workshop on the grounds that people should be allowed to take the benefit from the increased fertility of lands after floods. The participants added that traditionally, people living along the riverbanks are aware of the seasonal flood schedule, hence only the new settlements at the riverbanks need to be discouraged.

Disaster Management in Pakistan: Director General Emergency Relief Cell, Mr Amjad Sheikh gave his presentation about the functioning of his department.

Amjad Bhatti questioned if the government aimed at relief for the disaster affectees or it also had plans regarding reconstruction of the disaster-stricken area?

The director general informed that the relief activities was a provincial matter and there was no long term planning to counter the disaster or the aftermath of disaster in his knowledge.

The director general said that people sustain more losses, as they do not act according to the met office advice. And, it was army’s responsibility to evacuate the areas where disasters are about to strike, he added and invited preparedness plans from the journalists and NGOs.

It was suggested that the people should be made aware as to how to react to a disaster. Earthquakes can erupt anywhere and people should be trained through print and electronic media.

It was also pointed out that the government has only worked on the floods in the floods prone areas, but for other disasters there are no arrangements.

Joint Director JRC, Iqbal Haider Butt commented on the inherent paradox of government functioning; that despite a centralised functioning, the director general was constantly terming relief as a provincial issue. This structural issues needs to be addressed. 

Amjad Bhatti made the point that whether Pakistan could afford to extend support to the other countries i.e. Turkey in case of disaster eruption. He also questioned whether the government makes any need assessment regarding disasters. He also questioned whether the unused funds for relief could be spent on preparedness for disasters?

Mr Amjad Sheikh maintained that the federal commission was only responsible for allocation of funds to the provincial governments before the flood seasons and the provincial departments are free to use those funds without any audit.

The participants questioned that if the federal department is not even auditing the provincial accounts, whether there was a need for the federal department?

Secretary General Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) Mr Najam Osmani suggested that Journalists Resource Centre along with the support of journalist unions could form a network for information exchange, which may also assist the government in planning against disasters.

This point also was debated that in the absence of local participation how relief fund could be made available to the deserving, which has been a case as now.

Post-disaster livelihood patterns: Plight of a village diminished off non-action: Ms. Fozia Tanveer, while presenting a case study of a flood-stricken village in Punjab, spoke about impact of disaster in terms of influencing livelihood patterns.

She also mentioned the lengthy bureaucratic procedures due to which preventive measures could not be taken to save the under-research village from disaster.

Ms Fozia maintained that media has remained ineffective in evaluating the changes in the livelihood patterns as a result of a disaster. She also criticised that the local correspondents sent news about the endangered village but the news item was never given a space in the media, resultantly the infrastructure prevailing in the village was washed away by the floods. She attributed this negligence to a general bias that’s prevalent in our mainstream press. 

She pointed out that the dislocated people who lose their lands as a result of floods, have to move to the cities where they have to live in urban slums and the reshuffled livelihood are never compensated or evaluated.

Secretary General Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Fouzia Shahid lamented that journalists were only interested in reporting with political orientation and the social aspect is usually overlooked. She said that it was mainly because the editors of the newspapers were not interested in the social sector.

Disaster Reporting: A critique: Senior journalist, Ahmed Hassan Alvi of daily Dawn while opening the first session on the second day, observed that lack of resources is no alibi for inappropriate coverage of disasters in the media. The newspaper organisations should cater to the needs of the journalists on special assignments, like disaster reporting.

Mr Alvi maintained that the disaster reporting mainly focuses on government actions against disaster as the trip to the disaster stricken area is sponsored by the government.

Regarding the poor coverage of disaster by the national media in comparison to the international media agencies, Mr Alvi said that the national media lacks competition and a mechanism for accountability. He observed that disaster event should be reported with utmost objectivity, but it needs to be ensured that the news item may not spread sensationalism. Director National Floods Forecasting Bureau mentioned one example of irresponsible journalism when in 1973 floods, a national English daily reported that the clock tower of Faisalabad was about to drown.

Mr Alvi responded that lack of accountability permits journalists to get capricious. He termed such journalists as clerks and pen pushers who lack human factor as well.

Secretary General PFUJ Ms Fauzia Shahid said that journalists in Pakistan are working in the worst circumstances and it is really hard for them to come over the professional and personal challenges facing them.

Ms Fauzia Tanveer suggested that there should be some legislation to bind the journalists to responsible journalism. Ms Fozia Tanveer also questioned the need for a press commission to handle the small complaints, as the legal system is too expensive for the common man.

Ms Fauzia Shahid explained that there were as many as sixteen laws regarding press conduct. The journalists had thought of making an independent press council but the idea was dropped. In a country where the independent press is taken over by the government, an independent press council could not stay independent for long.

Mr Alvi said that journalist unions should interfere to develop a campaign against irresponsible journalism and also against photographers and reporters who are indulged in taking bribes.

Mr Ahmer Kureishi, Editor Online News Network, said that the discussion was getting carried away and that the workshop was focussed on disaster reporting, rather than corruption among journalists.

Mr Amjad Bhatti replied that the two were inter-related. He gave a comparison of two news items, the one in which relief efforts from the government side was given the space of three columns and the one reporting five person’s death in the same incident was spared with a single column. He maintained that the reporting of a disaster is usually celebrity oriented rather than issue-based.

How to report natural disaster and its impact on social sector:

Mr Amjad Bhatti, gave his presentation on as to how to report impact of disasters on social sector and illuminated them with techniques of disaster reporting. He specifically took three sections among the social sector  – health, housing and education – and described ways to report them correspondingly.

He emphasised to take three situations –before, during and after – of disasters into account and to assess both direct and indirect damages caused or in danger by them.

He pointed out that the loss evaluation made by the government and the journalists take into account the infrastructure and not the population. Mr Muneer Sheikh objected that disaster precedes hazards according to the official definition and the word ‘hazard’ was being used inappropriately. Hereby, a thorough discussion was done on the definition and differentiation between ‘hazard’ and ‘disaster’. The journalist participants mostly advocated for taking hazard as the potential disaster while the government officials saw otherwise. This was generally observed that this definitional difference also reflected in the government disaster policies whilst they tend to take up such issues only when they have occurred rather than preparing a pre-disaster plan and preventive measures to avoid these happenings. 

Follow-up targets

The last session was to sum up the discussion continued for the last two days. It was culminated into what’s described in the outcome section of this report [please see below].

Recommendations

• It was recommended that an informal group of journalists along with the government representatives should be made at the end of the workshop to share information on disasters and disaster mitigation.
• It was also discussed that the office of the editor should be restored as presently the owners of the newspapers and not the professional journalists hold the office. Hence, mis-reporting, lack of enough space to social issues, and politically and commercially motivated news are covered at the cost of the coverage of the vulnerable groups of the society. 
• Mr Amjad Bhatti stressed that the government should take measures against the hazards before the actual disaster occurs.
• The reporting of a disaster should be process based rather than event based, so that the event and its pros and cons could be assessed and also to develop linkages of disaster with development.
• Mr Bhatti proposed that the government departments should open their records before the journalists for a voluntary media audit, since it was revealed during discussions that the federal relief agencies have no such arrangements; they only transfer these funds to the provincial governments. Mr Osmani of the RIUJ also suggested that committees should be formed for the public audit of the relief allocations with the help of the locals and journalists of the area.
• Mr Asjad Imtiaz stressed on the need for developing trust between the saviours and the affectees, and the media should play its due role in developing the trust.
• Mr Ijaz from PPI suggested that gradual disaster like water logging and salinity should also be taken into account while discussing disasters.
• Mr Iqbal Haider Butt suggested the involvement of district correspondent to ensure better coverage of any disaster. 
• Mr Ahmed Hasan Alvi maintained that where the journalists need to be trained as to how to report disaster, their organisations and the government should be pushed to provide them with basic facilities, equipment, and to insure their life against any adversity that they may come across while reporting a disaster.
• Mr Muneer Sheikh said that the reporters should consult the technical people before publishing the news item.

The participants resolved to form a national media group for disaster mitigation, which would include journalists, government representatives and other experts. This group would monitor and enhance capacity of the government departments and media for concerted efforts on disaster mitigation.

The participants also suggested producing some literature to apprise the people of the ways to react to a disaster. The literature would be produced in Urdu and Sindhi and then in other regional languages

Annexures

Annexure I: Schedule of the workshop
Annexure II: Participants’ list
Annexure III: List of the media group members on disaster mitigation
Annexure IV: Papers read out at the workshop 

Annexure I

Schedule: National Workshop on Disaster Reporting in Pakistan

Proposed Dates: 24-25 November
Venue: Capital Inn, G/8 Markaz Islamabad
Participants: Working journalists, NGOs
Executing agency: Journalists Resource Centre Pakistan
Language: Urdu/English
Logistic support: South Asia Media Group for Disaster Mitigation

24 November 1999 (First Day)

1-Registration

10:00 AM to 10:15 AM

2-Objectives of the WS

10:15 AM to 10:30 AM (Dr. Mohammad Tanveer)

3-Address of the Chief Guest

10.30 AM to .00 AM (Mr. Omar Asghar Khan- Federal Minister for Rural DeveloAMent and Local Government)

TEA BREAK .00 to .15

4-Types of natural disasters in Pakistan

:15 AM to 2:30 AM (Dr. Qamar-uz-Zaman Director General Meteorology Services Pakistan) Under this subject hazard prone areas; meteorological and hydrological factors in relation to floods, earthquakes and cyclones; weather related forecasting; land mass composition and other technicalities will be elaborated to enhance the scientific knowledge about disasters occurring in

LUNCH 2:30 AM to 3:00 AM

5- How government responds to disasters in Pakistan?

3:00 AM -4.00 AM (Amjad Shaikh Director General Prime Minister's Emergency Relief Cell, Cabinet Division)

Relief and rehabilitation strategies adopted by the government; the flow of activities; responsible departments and ministries; coordination among disaster related organisations; the role of Flood Relief Commission; the contribution of Emergency Relief Cell; financial allocation to disaster prone areas and other Public Sector initiatives to cope with disasters in Pakistan will be highlighted.

6- The role of Flood Relief Commission in flood management

4:00 AM-4:45 AM (Mr. Asjad Imtiaz Ali-Chief Engineer Flood Relief Commission) 

Early warning system; at-risk areas; during disaster intervention; structural measures; objectives of flood control; flood control strategies; failures; successes and other issues of reconstruction and rehabilitation will be discussed. Recommendations for the improvement of flood control mechanism would be sought in this session.

7- Post-disaster livelihood patterns: A case study of village Mamola

4:45 AM-6:00 AM (Fozia Tanveer)

25 November (Second Day)

8- Disaster Reporting in Pakistan; A critique 

11:00 AM to 1:00 PM (Mr. Ahmad Hasan Alvi, daily Dawn, Islamabad)

TEA 11:00 AM to 11:30 PM

9-How to report impact of disaster on the social sector

1:30 PM-2:30 PM (Amjad Bhatti)

This presentation will cover the concepts and methods of assessing damages to social sector i.e. health, education and housing. Evaluation and appraisal of direct, indirect and secondary damages and methodology of reporting and analyzing disaster damages will be discussed. What can be the potential sources of information and how media can incorporate the social sector concerns in damage reporting and damage analysis? How the missing links can be identified in post disaster reconstruction? How to estimate the effects of disasters on routine life and how these can be brought to the public and policy forums through media?

LUNCH 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM

10-Follow-up targets

3:30 PM – 4:30 Participants
-Concluding Remarks 
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM (Mr. C. R. Shamsi, Senior Vice President Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists [PFUJ])

Annexure II

List of participants of Workshop on disaster reporting in Pakistan 

Date November 24, 1999

1 Abuzar Waseem Free Lance Jounalist-Islamabad
2 Ahmar Masti Khan Free lance journalist-Karachi/ 92-21-5851501
3 Ahmer Kureishi Editor,Online International/ 260361-2
4 Aijaz Ahmed Reporter, Pakistan Press International (PPI)/ 8 646-817646
5 Amjad Bhatti Coordinator JRC Islamabad Chapter, Journalists Resource Centre
6 Arshad Waheed Development Consultant, Journalists Resource Centre
7 Asjad Imtiaz Ali Chief Engineer, Federal Flood Commission/ 92-51-9201365
8 Dr Shahid Zia Research Fellow, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) Islamabad/ 92-51-278134
9 Eric Plouffe Journalists Resource Centre/Alternatives Canada
10 F A Zaidi Photographer, daily Pakistan, Islamabad
11 Faisal Mahmood Photographer, Online
Fauzia Shahid Daily Pakistan-Islamabad/Gen Sect. Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists/ 92-51-272727-30
13 Feica Cartoonist, Daily Dawn-karachi/ 111444777
14 Fozia Tanveer Free lance social researcher
15 Ghazanfar Khokhar Daily Ibrat (Hyderabad), Islamabad Office/ 823277
16 Haq Nawaz Khan Reporter, Daily Khabrain-Islamabad/ 92-51-204780;204751-5
17 Hussain Sajjad Programme Coordinator, Journalists Resource Centre/92-42-6306998
18 Iqbal Haider Butt Joint Director, Journalists Resource Centre/92-42-6306998
19 Khadim Hussain OXFAM (Islamabad)
20 Mehmood Hamdani Reporter, Pakistan Observer-Islamabad/ 92-51-853819
21 Mohammad Amjad Sheikh Director General, Emergency Relief Cell, Cabinet Division/ 9207169
22 Mohammad Muneer Sheikh Director, National Flood Forecasting Bureau, 46 Jail Road- / 92-42-7586479
23 Mohammad Tanveer Executive Director, Journalists Resource Centre/92-42-6306998
24 Mohsin Babbar Daily Sindh (Hyderabad)-Islamabad Office
25 Najamul Islam Usmani Shift Incharge,  Daily Jang Rawalpindi/Sect. Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists/ 556223 
26 Omar Asghar Khan Federal Minister, Ministry of ELGRD
27 Qurban Ali Baloch Daily Koshish(Hyderabad)-Islamabad office/ 204455
28 Raja Abdul Qayyum Information Officer to Minister
29 Saqib Shahzad Journalists Resource Centre-Islamabad Chapter
30 Shahbaz Ishaq Reporter Khaleej International, PO Box 2698, Islamabad
31 Shahid PS to the minister of ELGRD
32 Syed Khalid Mustafa Reporter, Internews/ 270267
33 Wasim Haider Journalists Resource Centre-Islamabad Chapter
 
 

Date November 25, 1999

1 Abuzar Waseem Free lance journalist
2 Ahmar Masti Khan Free lance journalist/ 92-21-5851501
3 Ahmed Hassan Alvi Senior Correspondent, Daily Dawn-Islamabad Bureau/ 111444777
4 Ahmer Kureishi Editor, Online International/ 260361-2
5 Aijaz Ahmed PPI/ 8 646-817646
6 Amjad Bhatti Journalists Resource Centre
7 C R Shamsi Daily Ausaf, SVP PFUJ/ 820621
8 Eric Plouffe Journalists Resource Centre/Alternatives Canada
9 Fauzia Shahid Daily Pakistan/ 272727-30
10 Feica Daily Dawn/ 111444777
11 Fozia Tanveer Free lance researcher
Hamid Ghouri Cabinet Secretariat/ 9205705
13 Haq Nawaz Khan Daily Khabrain
14 Hussain Sajjad Journalists Resource Centre
15 Iqbal Haider Butt Journalists Resource Centre
16 Ishaque Chaudhry Asia Week (Singapore)/ 202824
17 Javed Rana Daily The Nation/ 824885
18 M Basharat Mehboob Daily Jang/ 556223
19 Mehmood Hamdani Pakistan Observer/ 853819
20 Mohammad Muneer Sheikh National Flood Forecasting Bureau, 46 Jail Road/ 7586479
21 Mohammad Tanveer Journalists Resource Centre
22 Mohsin Babbar Daily Sindh, Hyderabad
23 Najamul Islam Usmani RIUJ/ 556223 & 03037762142
24 Rahat Ali Dar The News,
25 Sajid Mehmood Chaudhary Daily Jang-Rawalpindi/ 556223
26 Saqib Shahzad Journalists Resource Centre-Islamabad Chapter
27 Shahbaz Ishaq Reporter Khaleej International, PO Box 2698, Islamabad
27 Shahzad Malik Daily Din-Islamabad
29 Tariq Butt Free Lance
30 Zulfiqar Chaudhary Daily Jasarat,

Annexure III

List of the media group members on disaster mitigation in Pakistan 

Coordinator: 

Aijaz Ahmed 
Reporter, Pakistan Press International (PPI)

Members:
 

Abuzar Waseem	Free Lance Journalist-Islamabad
Ahmar Masti Khan	Free lance journalist-Karachi
Fozia Tanveer	Free lance social researcher
Haq Nawaz Khan	Reporter, Daily Khabrain-Islamabad
Hussain Sajjad	Programme Coordinator, Journalists Resource Centre
Mohsin Babbar	Daily Sindh (Hyderabad)-Islamabad Office
Najamul Islam	Shift Incharge, Daily Jang Rawalpindi/Sect. Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ)
Shahbaz Ishaq	Reporter Khaleej International, Islamabad
Wasim Haider	Journalists Resource Centre-Islamabad Chapter

Publication committee:

• Amjad Bhatti 
• Coordinator JRC Islamabad Chapter, Journalists Resource Centre
• Iqbal Haider Butt 
• Joint Director, Journalists Resource Centre