ISLAMABAD, March 4: A national disaster risk management framework has been prepared, setting out capacity-building priorities at national, provincial and local levels.

The framework, developed after extensive consultations, is likely to be approved by the National Disaster Management Commission (NDMC) which is scheduled to hold its first meeting here on Monday (today) with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in the chair.

An official said the framework envisioned risk reduction and provided for policy implementation and disaster management strategies and programmes.

He said approval of the structure, rules and programmes of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) would also be sought from the NDMC. The commission was also likely to approve the setting up of a National Disaster Management Fund besides agreeing to observe Oct 8 as National Disaster Awareness day.

While the NDMC is the highest policy-making body, the NDMA is the implementing arm of the commission. The NDMA will serve as a focal body and provide one-window institutional structure to handle natural as well as man-made disasters.

The NDMA has been mandated to directly interact with the federal and provincial authorities as well as law-enforcement agencies for preparing and responding to disasters.

For effective delivery, the NDMA would put in place policies, strategies and programmes for mitigation, preparedness and response and recovery in context of various calamities.

Under the law, while all federal and provincial agencies would extend full support to the NDMA in discharge of assigned tasks, the authority would provide technical support and guidance for developing provincial and sectoral disaster management plans.