ISLAMABAD, Sep 06 (APP):The National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) in partnership with the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, is taking a significant step towards safeguarding educational institutions across Pakistan by developing the NatCat Safe School Appl
ication.
According to the Education Ministry, this pioneering digital tool aims to enhance the safety and resilience of school infrastructures against natural disasters.
NDRMF on Friday in that regard presented the first live demo
of the NatCat Safe School Appl
ication to Federal Secretary Education, Mohyuddin Wani, at ICMG F-8/1 Islamabad. The demo showcased the app’s potential to revolutionize school safety standards.
Following the demonstration, the Federal Secretary congratulated NDRMF for this f
orward-thinking initiative, recognizing its capacity to mitigate risks and protect students and school staff from disasters.
He commended the potential
of the app to strengthen educational safety standards and lauded the use of innovative technologies to bolster educational infrastructure resilience across the country.
The NatCat Safe School Appl
ication leverages data from a range of stak
eholders, including teachers, parents, and students, combined with risk and loss information from the NatCat Model. It identifies vulnerabilities in schools and assesses risks posed by natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods, and landslides.
By gathering and analyzing data on school buildings and their surroundings, the app empowers authorities
to develop and implement retrofitting plans to enhance the resilience of educational facilities.
The appl
ication offers two distinct interfaces: Mobile Appl
ication Interface that is designed for on-the-go reporting and data submission by users, allowing for real-time risk identif
ication. Expert View Interface that provides education authorities with the ability to evaluate disaster scenarios, simulate risks using NatCat data, and generate actionable insights for disaster mitigation.
CEO NDRMF Mr Bilal Anwar mentioned that “The NatCat Safe School Appl
ication represents a significant leap f
orward in our efforts to build resilient educational institutions. By using cutting-edge data and real-time reporting, this tool will enable us to protect schools from the growing threats posed by natural disasters. Our goal is to ensure that every school in Pakistan is equipped to safeguard its students, teachers, and staff.”
