ISLAMABAD: The Emergency Response Committee (ERC) on Friday underscored the need for proactive planning and strong inter-agency coordination to ensure the timely implementation of preparedness measures and minimise the impact of disasters during the 2026 monsoon season.2
The ERC was constituted on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif following a meeting on early warning systems and monsoon preparedness that he chaired on July 1. The committee has been tasked with overseeing national preparedness and coordinating emergency response efforts throughout the current monsoon season.
The committee comprises the federal ministers for planning, development and special initiatives (convener), climate change and environmental coordination, communications, power, water resources, national food security and research, information, and information technology and telecommunication. It also includes the secretaries of the respective ministries, the chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and the chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda). As notified by the Prime Minister’s Office, the NDMA will serve as the committee’s secretariat.
The ERC held its inaugural meeting at the NDMA headquarters on Friday. Convened via video link by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, the meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Musadik Malik, NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik, and representatives of relevant federal ministries, divisions and departments.
During the meeting, participants highlighted the committee’s responsibility in strengthening national preparedness and ensuring effective coordination throughout the ongoing monsoon season. The NDMA presented a detailed briefing on seasonal forecasts, major incidents reported so far, and the country’s overall state of preparedness.
Members also discussed the implementation of responsibilities outlined in the Terms of Reference (ToRs) issued by the Prime Minister’s Office. The committee reviewed the national coordination framework designed to ensure an effective preparedness and response mechanism during the monsoon season.
To enhance coordination between the federation and the provinces, the committee approved the inclusion of the chief secretaries of all provinces as co-opted members.
The committee observed that the multiple challenges emerging from the 2026 monsoon and beyond must be clearly identified to facilitate a coordinated national response. It further noted that shrinking glaciers, coupled with worsening drought conditions and below-normal rainfall in many parts of Pakistan, could place additional pressure on the agriculture sector and create serious food security concerns.
Ahsan Iqbal directed the Ministry of National Food Security and Research to work closely with the National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC) to prepare long-term projections extending through 2027.
The meeting concluded with all participating ministries and organisations agreeing to maintain close coordination and ensure a unified national response to protect lives, livelihoods and critical infrastructure during the 2026 monsoon season.