NSET is working with United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Pakistan for technical support to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan under the project “Earthquake vulnerability reduction and preparedness programme in Muzaffarabad and Mansehra Municipalities” since November 2007. Total project period is 22 months.

The project aims at building institutional structures, policies, and systems to integrate earthquake vulnerability reduction in the two municipalities. The project employs a multi-pronged strategy which combines technical knowledge with hands on practical experiences in earthquake vulnerability reduction and preparedness, which cuts across other themes such as capacity building, establishing a knowledge-base for informed decision making, human resource development, practical demonstration for education, awareness, training, and dissemination of learning and experiences locally, nationally and regionally. The project is built around a partnership approach where it brings together a range of different stakeholders like technical agencies, academic and research institutions, local governments, line agencies and civil society, while placing vulnerable communities in the middle, so as to demonstrate participation, partnership and use of local wisdom to promote context specific solutions to challenges posed to sustainable development, through a blend of structural and non-structural components of earthquake vulnerability reduction.

NSET approach for the technical support is to transfer the technology on risk assessment, earthquake scenario development, action planning, demonstration projects, capacity building and training programs to project management team professionals from Pakistan. Concept of tapering the NSET involvement as time line increase is adopted so that a core group of professionals are developed to conduct similar type of projects in other cities in Pakistan.

Currently vulnerability studies at individual buildings and infrastructures level is in the process. Professors and students from different Universities in Pakistan are involved in the process and carrying out the buildings inventory survey after training. Risk analysis and preparation of risk maps, translation of technical risk maps to common people language, preparation of earthquake scenario and earthquake risk management action planning for both the cities are the near future activities of the project.